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L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential Image
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Metascore
90 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.8 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 93 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Russell Crowe
  • Summary: Based on James Ellroy's novel about the movie industry, corrupt cops, tabloid journalism, gangsters and sexual obsessions of every stripe, L.A. Confidential is set in 1950's Los Angeles.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Seductive and beautiful, cynical and twisted, and one of the best films of the year.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    100
    A movie bull's-eye: noir with an attitude, a thriller packing punches. It gives up its evil secrets with a smile.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    60
    Director Curtis Hanson keeps the hugely complicated story zooming along the boulevard of broken dreams without losing sight of the details that make the trip worthwhile.

See all 28 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. hoops2448
    10
    L.A. Confidential may be one of the few book adaptations that holds up (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo does too) and despite its very loose adaptation it is flawlessly executed with standout performances from the likes of Kevin Spacey and James Cromwell. However the film really belongs to Guy Pearce's Ed Exley who is the by the book character everyone loves to hate. This may be an oversimplification on my part but his performance is flawless, invoking all the emotions, especially as he reminisces about the death of his father in a gripping scene between him and Spacey's Jack Vincennes (whose answer to why he became a cop is brilliant). At its best LA Confidential is a film of two halves but each episode is cleverly put together with each character shining. The film embraces the period, including the obsession with noir and pulp to great effect with Kim Basinger bringing to life the role of the Femme Fatale as she effortlessly manipulates those she sees while also showing her vulnerable side during her scenes with Russell Crowe's Bud White (A career highlight). The story follows the brutal murders of the staff and customers of a late night coffee shop called the Nite Owl. However a plot that starts out simple frays off into multiple sub plots that are equally intriguing and cleverly put together providing one of the most intelligent look at the inner workings of a police station and the people we trust to solve our crime (The game L.A. Noire tries to do the same but falls flat). The film is a exhilarating tale of corruption, murder, sex and general wrong-doing that shows that there is no black and white, only shades of grey. Its everything a perfect noir should be and more. A timeless classic.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. HeleneS.
    10
    Best plot, best acting, especially Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey.
    • 1 of 2 users said yes
  3. grandpajoe6191
    9
    "L.A Confidential" is not JUST a gangster movie. It's one that's cheerfully paced yet cynically written, where the three main characters compete against each other with beautiful state-of-art cinematography.… Expand
    • 4 of 4 users said yes

See all 24 User Reviews

Trailers

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