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L.A. Confidential (1997)
IMDb Rating 8.4
Front Cover Actor Back Cover
Kevin Spacey Jack Vincennes
Russell Crowe Bud White
Guy Pearce Ed Exley
James Cromwell Dudley Smith
Kim Basinger Lynn Bracken
David Strathairn Pierce Patchett
Danny DeVito Sid Hudgeons
Paolo Seganti Johnny Stompanato
David St. James Detective at Hush-Hush Office
Amber Smith Susan Lefferts
Ron Rifkin Dist. Atty. Ellis Loew
Matt McCoy Brett Chase
Paul Guilfoyle Meyer Harris 'Mickey' Cohen
Plot
Based on the best-selling novel by James Ellroy, this award-winning crime drama explores both the dark side of the Los Angeles police force and Southern California's criminal underbelly in the early 1950s, when Hollywood was still seen as America's capital of sophistication, glitter, and glamour. Dudley Smith ( James Cromwell ) is the head of the L.A.P.D. and is loyal to his officers and eager to turn a blind eye to violence or corruption within his department, as long as it's the "bad guys" who are getting hurt. Bud White ( Russell Crowe ) is a police detective whose violent and cynical nature is often at war with his basic sense of decency and justice. Ed Exley ( Guy Pearce ) is a beat cop-turned-detective whose strict by-the-book philosophy and willingness to blow the whistle on other officers is balanced by a shrewd and opportunistic understanding of the internal politics of the department. And Jack Vincennes ( Kevin Spacey ) is a flashy "Hollywood" detective who serves as technical advisor for the TV series Badge of Honor . He is also in cahoots with Sid Hudgeons ( Danny De Vito ), publisher of the scandal sheet Hush Hush , who throws kickbacks to Vincennes in exchange for being brought along when showbiz figures get busted. White, Exley, and Vincennes find themselves drawn into a tangled and sticky web of violence and betrayal following a multiple murder at a coffee shop that is believed to be part of an effort by Mickey Cohen ( Paul Guilfoyle ) to consolidate his hold on organized crime in L.A. This lead appears to be connected to the discovery of a bizarre pornography and call-girl ring operated by Pierce Patchett ( David Strathairn ), whose women are given plastic surgery so that they more closely resemble well-known movie stars. White's role in the investigation is complicated when he falls for Lynn Bracken ( Kim Basinger ), one of Patchett's prostitutes who is the spitting image of Veronica Lake . L.A. Confidential was nominated for nine Academy awards and won two, with Curtis Hanson (who directed) and Brian Helgeland honored for Best Adapted Screenplay and Kim Basinger taking home a statuette as Best Supporting Actress. — Mark Deming
Movie Details
Genre Crime; Drama; Mystery; Thriller
Director Curtis Hanson
Producer Curtis Hanson; Arnon Milchan; Michael Nathanson
Writer James Ellroy; Brian Helgeland; Curtis Hanson
Studio Warner Bros.
Country USA
Language English
Audience Rating R
Running Time 136 mins
Movie Release Date 9/19/1997
Color Color
Personal Details
Format DVD
Seen It Yes
Index 138
Collection Status In Collection
Purchase Date 1/1/2000
Product Details
Region Region 1
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
Layers Single Side, Dual Layer
UPC (Barcode) 085391491323
Chapters 40
Release Date 1998
Subtitles English; French; Spanish
Packaging Snap Case
Audio Tracks English Dolby Digital 5.1
French Dolby Digital 5.1
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1
Extra Features
Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Dolby
Links
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