L.A. Confidential

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L.A. Confidential

R

1997

2h 16m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

165 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Three policemen, each with his own motives and obsessions, tackle the corruption surrounding an unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s. Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), the son of a murdered detective, is out to avenge his father's killing. The ex-partner of Officer White (Russell Crowe), implicated in a scandal rooted out by Exley, was one of the victims. Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) feeds classified information to a tabloid magnate (Danny DeVito).

Critics Consensus

Taut pacing, brilliantly dense writing and Oscar-worthy acting combine to produce a smart, popcorn-friendly thrill ride.

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Ella Taylor

L.A. Weekly

10/20/2021

A masterfully smart and soulful film that bows low before genre even as it betrays it.

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Jay Carr

Boston Globe

10/20/2021

4/4

One of the things the film conveys, in addition to institutionalized corruption, is the energy and excitement of a city that knows it's on the move. L.A. Confidential is juicy dynamite.

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

10/19/2021

4.5/5

Dante Spinotti's widescreen camerawork and Jeannine Oppewall`s production design brilliantly recreate the somewhat tawdry world of a glamorous city which is starting to lose its glamour.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 24

4/4

Writer-director Curtis Hanson's adaptation of the James Ellroy novel wasn't merely one of the two or three greatest movies of the 1990s; it stands as a masterpiece for the ages.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Jul 6

4/4

...with great skill telling several interwoven narratives that expose corruption, venality, and murder with compelling twists and turns that will leave the audience riveted until its closing frame.

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Dimitris Passas

PopMatters

11/28/2023

L.A. Confidential‘s representation of a long-gone era in Los Angeles is exemplary, and the 1950s are enlivened on screen in an accurate and opulent manner.

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Matt M.

@STAR67 May 19

One of the best movies of all time

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Brooke S.

@Brookespears May 3

Great cast, good story, all time classic. Not sure if it’d be the same without Danny DeVito.

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S. O

@Col._Angus Apr 24

This is right up there with Chinatown and Goodfellas. Truly a masterpiece.

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paul O

@Paulo190408 Apr 23

Lots of violence but not much else.

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Andrew R.

@RT48024293 Apr 20

Great movie that builds a great story

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Ben W

@Username618 Mar 28

Am pretty sure that this one would fall apart if I re-saw it. This film I crept into underage at Leicester Square- then in my Christian phase, think I wrote to the cinema to apologise. Crazy. Anyway. Sort of? Got a pleasing, Western tinged finale. Bit long.

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Curtis Hanson

Director

Kevin Spacey

Jack Vincennes

Russell Crowe

Officer Wendell 'Bud' White

Guy Pearce

Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings Exley

James Cromwell

Capt. Dudley Liam Smith

David Strathairn

Pierce Morehouse Patchett

Heat

84%

94%

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Synopsis

Three policemen, each with his own motives and obsessions, tackle the corruption surrounding an unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s. Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), the son of a murdered detective, is out to avenge his father's killing. The ex-partner of Officer White (Russell Crowe), implicated in a scandal rooted out by Exley, was one of the victims. Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) feeds classified information to a tabloid magnate (Danny DeVito).

Director: Curtis Hanson
Producer: Michael G. Nathanson, Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson
Screenwriter: Curtis Hanson, James Ellroy, Brian Helgeland
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Regency Enterprises
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.6M
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)