Best plot, best acting, especially Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey.

A masterpiece, combining a complex storyline with an amazing cast. A must see for all movie fans. The twist at the end will definetly make you want to watch it again to see what you missed. Remains one of my favorite films.

Brilliant! A staggering film with a great cast delivering great performances. Curtis Hansen has scored twice with "Wonder Boys" and this piece of art.

This is a great movie! Its almost flawless except for the ending shoot-out was way too big, it was trying to be a John Woo ending shoot out instead of a crime film shoot out. But all of the acting, writing, directing and music was top notch. This should have been Best Picture!

Excellent.

The greatest movie ever made, with a great plot, great sets and scenery, great music, great acting especially from Kevin Spacey, just great movie!

One of the best films I have seen.

Too long. good if you like this genre.

Popcorn flick done right; though regrettably with some of the sentimentality intact.

The highly overrated L.A. Confidential is more like a Hollywood costume party than a true noir. The busy plot can't conceal the lack of any real tension, and the elaborate sets and costumes belie the pulpy, bare-bones quality of the original noirs. The final shoot-out goes way over the top. A great performance by Kevin Spacey and fine scenery, but not much else.

Very engaging, especially the Crowe character. Upon 2nd viewing, it didn't hold up so well. Mostly just archetypal characters in a big budget hollywood flic, Slightly more imagination/humor than average, though, make it stand out. Ending did stink.

Tremendous! Movies this good come along once every five years. Complex, dense and engrossing.

Great plot, great direction and an outstanding cast make this film 1 of the best in recent years and even of the decade. Spacey and basinger were great. Really lost faith in the oscars when that crappy "TITANIC" won best picture instead of this film.

Great Film ! Not to be missed, Great storyline and acting by a great cast. Keeps you glued to the screen and delivers a real punch.

One of the best films of the 1990's and one of the very few I would allow a score of 10. This bleak, blackly humourous neo-noir may not be everyone's cup of tea (especially the dim-witted and easily distracted) but if you're willing to give yourself over to its hero-less, serpentine world, the rewards are stunning if you stick with it. The acting, writing, and directing are unimpeachable on all levels, and the movie is exceptionally crafted, with several awesome plot twists and developments. A near-classic. Years after the fact, it still stings that Titanic won Best Picture over this. It's an incredible achievement, not to be missed.… Expand

I go look on other film databases, especially IMDb, L.A Confidential is underrated. It kind of reminded me of Pulp Fiction because of its billboard, but really, this is better than Tarantino's piece. Pulp Fiction was an amazing movie, the third greatest movie of the decade, but LA is the second best because of how well Guy Hamilton portrays the story. And obviously Goodfellas is in first, this crime epic is must see.… Expand

The last good movie Danny DeVito ever made. And actually, I thought it got BETTER with every viewing. Watch it at Christmas for best effect. Best movie ever? "Top ten, anyway."

It's OK. Nice job by Basinger - she's a cutie and keeps things interesting until the plot is developed enough to follow. However, the movie coveys the impression that L.A. has a corrupt soul when in fact it has no soul at all. This is not a movie for the ages, but should be required viewing for crime film buffs and L.A. mythology mavens.

Fine directing, acting, writing, cinematography, and whatever else. However, unlike Chinatown, this is noir encased behind thick glass-plate window and luxuriously lit for museum purposes. It's noir as a mummy exhibition. No matter how gold varnished the coffin the thing inside is dead.

Not alot of movies deserve a 10. Chinatown (this movie is compared to LA several times) does.It doesn't have the same mood and technical/directing brilliance that Chinatown has, but it comes very close..The book by Ellroy is brilliant very suitable for moviescripting. Now please make a movie of his magnum opus: the cold six thousand!! And can't give a bigger complement to the director... you're the man for the job.… Expand

Although Kim Basinger's performance was good, it was not Oscar worthy. The film, on the other hand was worthy of its nomination. Kudos to the casting director for hitting the "actor to character" spot on. This film holds your attention until the end and leaves you with a feeling that you might have misjudged the characters.

L.A. Confidential perfectly captures the dark and dirty world of a 1950s pulp-noir. The film, as is often the case with noir, is all about contrast - whether it's the contrast between sun-kissed villas and dingy slum interiors, or the contrast between a cop following the law to the letter and another bending the rules to get the job done, or even the contrast between steamy romance and brutal violence. The various plot-lines that run parallel to each other feel episodic, but all are engaging and build to an immensely satisfying conclusion.The performances across the board are strong,but of particular note are Guy Pearce's by-the-book lead protagonist, Kevin Spacey's celebrity super-cop and James Cromwell's formidable police chief - they cast make the already excellent script shine. You have all the usual noir hallmarks - the femme-fatale (Basinger), the quick-talking, smart-ass reporter (DeVito), dirty criminals and even dirtier cops, yet L.A. Confidential still manages to be creative. For instance, few films that I can think of put such a focus on the public face of a police force - the maintenance of a media machine that is required to keep the authorities looking like the good guys. The film is nigh-on flawless, and a joy to watch.… Expand