The real title of the book is called 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and I finally had the chance to see a film that I had always wanted to see, but never did. L.A. Confidential is a film that always intrigued me because of the amount of star power that was in the film at the time. I mean the film features the likes of Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), Guy Pearce (Memento), Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Kim Basinger (The Getaway), and so many more in this neo-noir classic. The film is about three cops: a by the book (Pearce), a brute (Crowe), and the sleaze (Spacey) who investigate a murder that involves a call girl, drugs, and an ex-cop. All three men have different agendas and different ways of going about their business, but once some of begin to not add up, they all begin to work together to solve the mystery. The film also stars Danny Devito (One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest) as Sid Hudgens, David Strathairn (Good Night, And Good Luck) as Pierce Patchett, Ron Rifken (The Majestic) as D.A. Ellis Loew, Matt McCoy (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle) as Brett Chase, James Cromwell (The Artist) as Dudley Smith, Simon Baker (The Devil Wears Prada) as Matt Reynolds, and the film was directed by Curtis Hanson (8 Mile).
First of all I want to say I have no idea why it took me from 1997 until now to view this film because it is absolutely amazing and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. There is not one actor in this film that I can say I like better than the other because all three men (Pearce, Spacey, and Crowe) all did a terrific job playing their characters to a T. Pearce’s character is one that you start off hating , but by the end of the film you gain a little respect for him. Russell Crowe’s character is easily the fan favorite pick because he’s the guy that hates seeing women get beat by men and he’s the muscle, but by the end of the film you see him change. Kevin Spacey’s character lands right into the middle of the equation because you’re not sure whether you like him or hate him, but you know he’s a jaded cop. The film has some great character studies, but that also comes from great writing and that is what you get with this film. The film brings us back to a time when we enjoyed watching films like Chinatown or even The Maltese Falcon which both are actually also apart of the list of 1001 films, but also because Film Noir is amazing to watch for the who dunnit factor. The film is amazing and everyone does a terrific job on the film that its hard to find any real flaws and I can see why it’s on the list for sure. I am going to give the film an A for a final grade because of great acting, writing, cinematography, and Kim Basinger.
Moshpits And Movies 