L.A. Confidential (1997)

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writers (WGA):

James Ellroy (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush...

Plot:

A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways.

Plot Keywords:

Hidden In Crawl Space | Violent Movie | Racial Violence | Drug Dealing | Noir

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 68 wins & 43 nominations

Cast

Kevin Spacey	...	Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes
Russell Crowe	...	Officer Wendell 'Bud' White
Guy Pearce	...	Det .Lt. Edmund Jennings 'Ed' Exley
James Cromwell	...	Capt. Dudley Liam Smith
Kim Basinger	...	Lynn Bracken
David Strathairn	...	Pierce Morehouse Patchett
Danny DeVito	...	Sid Hudgens
Graham Beckel	...	Det. Sgt. Richard Alex 'Dick' Stensland
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Meyer Harris 'Mickey' Cohen
Ron Rifkin	...	Dist. Atty. Ellis Loew
Matt McCoy	...	Brett Chase
Paolo Seganti	...	Johnny Stompanato
Sandra Taylor	...	Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Steve Rankin	...	Officer Arresting Mickey Cohen
Elisabeth Granli	...	Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | USA:R (certificate #35218) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KT | Brazil:14 | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

1714 Gramercy Place, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Monarchy Enterprises B.V.

Trivia:

"L.A. Confidential" is the third installment in author James Ellroy's "L.A. Quartet" series.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the last scene, when Lynn is opening the car, you can see a reflection of the crew in the car door.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sid Hudgens: [voiceover] Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. There are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside every house, a happy, all-American family. You can have all this, and who knows... you could even be discovered, become a movie star... or at least see one. Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth." Ha ha ha ha. That's what they tell you, anyway.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Academy of Robots' Choice Awards Special (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Makin' Whoopee

On of the best movies of the past 20 years.

L.A. Confidential most likely falls into the category of one of the best movies of the past twenty years. The complex story line seemed to burst at the seams with intelligence. I found the complexity of several different sub-plots working together challenged the intellectual part of my brain while the intense action through out the entire movie satisfied the craving of the not-so-intellectual part of my brain that enjoys seeing a good brawl followed by a good shoot-out. Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson did and excellent job of combining many elements of several different kinds of films into one. They seem to have made this movie with several different audiences in mind. I for one, as I have mentioned, enjoyed the intellectual aspect as well as the action, while my wife enjoyed the combination of a love story with drama. It really has something for everyone. Bringing together all of these elements into one film sets it apart from many others. Of course the best aspect of L.A. Confidential is the way that not everything is as it seems, and then, in an instant, all of the plots are sprung like a trap and come together for a grand finale. Overall L.A. Confidential is an exceptional film that contains something for everyone.