An exhilarating police drama about three LAPD cops (Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey) who begin to suspect that there is something very rotten inside their ranks. Directed by Curtis Hanson, and based on a novel by James Ellroy, ''L.A. Confidential'' is set circa 1953, its style is pure film noir, but its themes are very contemporary. Everything is awash in deep cynicism, but the incredibly complex, superbly constructed script allows for a multitude of interpretations. There is something truly fascinating about the main characters. Their positive traits, such as loyalty, friendship and honesty are often presented in a negative light, while such vices as vanity, ambition and sadism often reveal virtuous sides of their personalities. For instance, Crowe is a brutal thug, but his victims are usually wife-beating scumbags. He's loyal, but to the wrong people. Ambitious Pearce betrays his colleagues, but he's completely honest. At first, they hate each other's guts. But in the film's most memorable scene, they switch (without missing a beat) from enemies to partners after realizing they've both been betrayed. And they accomplish that while beating the crap out of each other. This is one of the best films of the 1990’s. The acting is superlative. Kim Basinger won a well-deserved Oscar, but David Strathairn, playing her ultra-cool pimp, is even better. The way he dismisses Pearce and Spacey by saying "Oh, we all want something", is priceless.
