Russell Crowe - The Prose & the Passion

L.A. Confidential

Filmed - May 6, 1996 – Aug 22, 1996

Category:	Drama
Director:	Curtis Hanson
Cast:	Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, David Strathairn
Release Date:	September 19, 1997
Running Time:	2 hr 18 mins
Rating:	R
Studio:	Warner Bros.
Trailer:	QuickTime \| RealVideo \| Don't Know
Official Site:	http://www.newregency.com/...

WONDER DIRECTOR: A CURTIS HANSEN INTERVIEW

Police corruption, blackmail, murder, & the innate human desire for illusion-set in 1950's Los Angeles--brought elegantly & tautly to the screen. The film's brutal subject matter, concerning murders & cover-ups to protect police involved in a blackmail scheme with movie-star look-alike prostitutes. A masterpiece,

In a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, L.A. Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhere, and White Jazz)--a compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown. Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy voters: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical, and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson

The movie that made me ask "Who in the hell is Russell Crowe?!?" Russell plays the part of Bud White, a detective on the LAPD. Bud is gruff, violent, and vulgar. He also happens to have a soft spot for abused women, due to the fact that his mother was killed at the hands of his abusive father while Bud was forced to watch. The first scene of the film is Bud keeping surveillance on a house where we quickly learn a woman is being abused by her husband. After taking out his anger on said husband, Bud goes to pick up some liquor for a LAPD holiday bash. At the liquor store, Bud gets his first glimpse of Lynn (played by Kim Basinger), a glamorous prostitute who is a dead ringer for Veronica Lake. Bud is instantly smitten, but of course has to cover it up by being a macho asshole.

Once Bud returns to police headquarters, the party is in high gear. Everyone is drunk, except Exley, played by Guy Pearce. A group of Hispanic men are arrested, and the police officers all crowd down in the jail to get revenge for one of their fellow police officers who had supposedly been hurt by one of the arrested men. Bud rushes down their to stop his partner Dick Stensland, played by Graham Beckel, from hurting anyone and getting in trouble. Exley follows, trying to stop the madness. Bud gets in the middle of the fight with his partner, and Exley is locked up so that the police officers can brawl.

Of course, heads roll. Exley rats out everyone to save his own ass, while Bud refuses to testify. Bud's partner is fired, and Bud is asked to turn in his own badge and gun. Kevin Spacey's character Jack Vincennes caves in and testifies to save his part on Badges of Honor, a show where he is technical advisor. After being fired, Dick Stensland stops for dinner on the way home at the Night Owl, and is killed along with another star look alike prostitute. James Cromwell, who plays police captain Dudley Smith saves Bud's job, since he wants Bud to beat the crap out of people for him. Exley "breaks" the Night Owl case and becomes a hero. Meanwhile, Bud and Lynn hook up (literally). Vincennes and Exley start to think that maybe the Night Owl case isn't really solved after all, and start to investigate. Lynn is told to sleep with Exley, which obviously doesn't go over too well with Bud. After Bud and Exley have a knock down drag out fight, they realize that someone is trying to pit them against each other so they won't figure out who really was behind the Night Owl killings.

I loved this movie. The casting was inspired, with the whole ensemble turning in their best acting of their careers. While I liked The Usual Suspects, I think that Kevin Spacey gave an even better performance here. His Jack Vincennes just oozed off the screen. But, obviously the main draw of the film for me was Russell Crowe. He WAS Bud White. His acting range just amazes me.