Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger Directed By: Curtis Hanson Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: Blu-ray Feature: L.A. Confidential is "tough, gorgeous and vastly entertaining" (James Maslin, The New York Times) and won 1997 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson). Three cops, a call girl, a mysterious millionaire, a tabloid journalist fuel a labyrinthine plot rife with mystery, ambition, romance and humor.Running Time: 138 mi Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: September 23, 2008 Running Time: 138 minutes Studio: Warner Home Video Theatrical Release Date: 1997
Features:
L.A. Confidential is "tough, gorgeous and vastly entertaining" (James Maslin, The New York Times) and won 1997 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson). Three cops, a call girl, a mysterious millionaire, a tabloid journalist fuel a labyrinthine plot rife with mystery, ambition, romance and humor.Running Time: 138 mi
Amazon.com essential video: 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
L.A. Confidential (Keepcase) ^ In the 1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime. "L.A. Confidential" is brilliant. The screenplay and direction are second-to-none. The performances by the ensemble cast are also superb. When a movie evokes an era as well as L.A. Confidential does, people take notice. If you are a fan of crime-drama and detective stories, you won't be disappointed.
L.A. Confidential ^ I picked up a copy of the book at a used book sale. It was hard to put down once I started reading. When I finished, I wanted to see the movie - Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors. Amazon had it, and in two days I received it. The setting was in the 1940s and '50s; I lived through those years and remembered reading about some of the "gangsters", i.e. Lana Turner's daughtered killed Stompanato; the cars, the scenes were great. The movie followed the story line very well, not deviating too much. This set also has a CD with the pilot of the television series that followed - I don't remember that. The musical score was wonderful and that was also included in the 2-disc set. I'll be watching this again and again; you can't see everything the first time. Good movie - Guy Pearce was great, too!
Very Happy ^ Shipped quickly and the item was in the condition described, which matches my criteria for an excellent transaction. Thank you.
Too Much Violence Against Women ^ How much violence against women is too much? Rita Hayworth lookalike Susan Lefferts (Amber Smith) gets murdered. Veronica Lake lookalike Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger) gets knocked around. A young girl gets raped and you have to watch her emotional pain afterwards as she's lying in a bed, bound and gagged, in silent agony, and a black man in another room is laughing.
But all this is forgiven because the cops hate women-beaters and they're out to get the bad guys?
Old Hollywood Revealed ^ This movie is a fascinating look into old Hollywood and yellow journalism. Danny Devito was at his best, playing a tabloid journalist that was willing to "get the scoop" at all cost. A classic!!!
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
