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L.A. Confidential (1997) - 8,5
Thrilling, funny, intelligent, powerful and a feast to the eyes, I only have praise to shout about the movie's ability to entertain. Haven't seen such an accomplished cop thriller in a long time, I'd say that in L.A. Confidential the formula was polished to near perfection. Money, corruption, personal interests, crime, moral struggles, sex, media, public opinion and even Hollywood, many of the traditional ingredients of the genre are explored, albeit vulgarly, in a sapiently dense script. This movie overflows with contagious charm stemming from the mixture of typical Hollywood narrative profile, well acted characters, wonderful cinematography that flirts neo-noir visual, scenic style reminiscent of David O. Russel and Scorcese, soundtrack that couldn't possibly complement the pictures in motion any better and a captivating plot with the necessary twists. Although there's nothing really new here, the cinematic accomplishment of this movie never fails to keep me engaged in the story, either at the edge of my seat or in indulgent contemplation. All in all, everything very well crafted in a movie that rides us through unexpected ordeals against organised crime in the City of Angels. Directed by Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential is the ideal popcorn movie for me, entertains like few others, nothing distracts from the experience, it's accessible yet smart ... and has a very happy ending so it doesn't hurt anyone's feelings (just in case...). Jokes aside, top-notch entertainment hands in hands with fine cinematic craft cannot go wrong. I enjoyed Kevin Spacey very much, such a great talented actor playing Jack Vincennes with humor and charm to spare. Great stuff, recommended!
Thrilling, funny, intelligent, powerful and a feast to the eyes, I only have praise to shout about the movie's ability to entertain. Haven't seen such an accomplished cop thriller in a long time, I'd say that in L.A. Confidential the formula was polished to near perfection. Money, corruption, personal interests, crime, moral struggles, sex, media, public opinion and even Hollywood, many of the traditional ingredients of the genre are explored, albeit vulgarly, in a sapiently dense script. This movie overflows with contagious charm stemming from the mixture of typical Hollywood narrative profile, well acted characters, wonderful cinematography that flirts neo-noir visual, scenic style reminiscent of David O. Russel and Scorcese, soundtrack that couldn't possibly complement the pictures in motion any better and a captivating plot with the necessary twists. Although there's nothing really new here, the cinematic accomplishment of this movie never fails to keep me engaged in the story, either at the edge of my seat or in indulgent contemplation. All in all, everything very well crafted in a movie that rides us through unexpected ordeals against organised crime in the City of Angels. Directed by Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential is the ideal popcorn movie for me, entertains like few others, nothing distracts from the experience, it's accessible yet smart ... and has a very happy ending so it doesn't hurt anyone's feelings (just in case...). Jokes aside, top-notch entertainment hands in hands with fine cinematic craft cannot go wrong. I enjoyed Kevin Spacey very much, such a great talented actor playing Jack Vincennes with humor and charm to spare. Great stuff, recommended!