Back to a time in the last century when cops were racist, brutal and murderous. Remember that time?
I first discovered James Ellroy in the early nineties via “American Tabloid”, which is a stunning, hard-boiled thriller based on real events – go read it. Then I read his LA Quartet – 4 books about LA cops in the 40s and 50s which also draw on real events, starting with the infamous Black Dahlia murder.
“L.A. Confidential” is the third book in the quartet and this adaptation is excellent. It won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar and got a Best Picture nomination.
Directed and co-written by Curtis Hanson, and with wonderful cinematography and production design, it follows three very different cops as they investigate a mass murder in their own unique ways. It also details the politics, corruption, racism and violence of the LAPD and the justice system in general.
It made Russell Crowe a star, and gave Guy Pearce an impressive debut. Kim Basinger is seductively beautiful, and Danny DeVito is hilarious. But, yeah, Kevin Spacey is in it too – although I can’t deny that he’s also amazingly good.
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