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L.A. Confidential
Apr. 7th, 2012 07:49 amZip sent us L.A. Confidential and I was thrilled. Going to the theatre was an expensive luxury when I was a young person and my family didn't have a VCR until 1996...so I was woefully movie deprived for the longest time. This was definitely on a must see list when I was younger, and I think I can appreciate it more now...it stars Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito and a very young and brooding Russell Crowe!
It's so rare to come across a movie that is this captivating. A lot of movies to me just seem to be going through the motions and are so woefully predictable. L.A. Confidential has a complex plot, a great feel for the 1950s time period and compelling characters. It's akin to Chinatown or The Big Sleep with themes of corruption, betrayals and redemption. It was hard not to be drawn to Lynn (Basinger) and Bud (Crowe), who are both damaged people. Actually all the main characters seem to each possess an interesting wound, although I believe theirs was the strongest. The other detective, Edmund, despite his ambition and wanting to live up to his father's police career, just wasn't as interesting to me. Vincennes' (Spacey) change of heart over being a source for a gossip mag was just so masterful. The movie is such a gem.
L.A. Confidential seems a bit too Hollywood to fit into the neo-noir category, but it has key elements - troubled detective, femme fatale - but didn't have the characteristic cinematic styling. It's also based on a book by James McElroy - will have to download it to my Kobo!
It's so rare to come across a movie that is this captivating. A lot of movies to me just seem to be going through the motions and are so woefully predictable. L.A. Confidential has a complex plot, a great feel for the 1950s time period and compelling characters. It's akin to Chinatown or The Big Sleep with themes of corruption, betrayals and redemption. It was hard not to be drawn to Lynn (Basinger) and Bud (Crowe), who are both damaged people. Actually all the main characters seem to each possess an interesting wound, although I believe theirs was the strongest. The other detective, Edmund, despite his ambition and wanting to live up to his father's police career, just wasn't as interesting to me. Vincennes' (Spacey) change of heart over being a source for a gossip mag was just so masterful. The movie is such a gem.
L.A. Confidential seems a bit too Hollywood to fit into the neo-noir category, but it has key elements - troubled detective, femme fatale - but didn't have the characteristic cinematic styling. It's also based on a book by James McElroy - will have to download it to my Kobo!
