Search - L.A. Confidential

Based on the best-selling novel by James Ellroy and directed by Curtis Hanson, this award-winning crime drama explores both the dark side of the Los Angeles police force and Southern California's criminal underbelly in the early '50s, when Hollywood was still seen as America's capital of sophistication, glitter, and glamour. Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) is the head of the LAPD and is loyal to his officers and eager to turn a blind eye to violence or corruption within his department, as long as it's the "bad guys" who are getting hurt. Bud White (Russell Crowe) is a police detective whose violent and cynical nature is often at war with his basic sense of decency and justice. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) is a beat cop-turned-detective whose strict by-the-book philosophy and willingness to blow the whistle on other officers is balanced by a shrewd and opportunistic understanding of the internal politics of the department. And Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is a flashy "Hollywood" detective who serves as technical advisor for the TV series Badge of Honor. He is also in cahoots with Sid Hudgeons (Danny DeVito), publisher of the scandal sheet Hush Hush, who throws kickbacks to Vincennes in exchange for being brought along when showbiz figures get busted. White, Exley, and Vincennes find themselves drawn into a tangled and sticky web of violence and betrayal following a multiple murder at a coffee shop that is believed to be part of an effort by Mickey Cohen (Paul Guilfoyle) to consolidate his hold on organized crime in L.A. This lead appears to be connected to the discovery of a bizarre pornography and call-girl ring operated by Pierce Patchett (David Strathairn), whose women are given plastic surgery so that they more closely resemble well-known movie stars. White's role in the investigation is complicated when he falls for Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger), one of Patchett's prostitutes, who is the spitting image of Veronica Lake. L.A. Confidential was nominated for nine Academy Awards and netted two, with Brian Helgeland honored for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Kim Basinger taking home a statuette as Best Supporting Actress. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Kevin Spacey - Jack Vincennes
Russell Crowe - Bud White
Guy Pearce - Ed Exley
James Cromwell - Dudley Smith
Kim Basinger - Lynn Bracken
David Strathairn - Pierce Patchett
Danny DeVito - Sid Hudgeons

1997	Best Supporting Actress (winner)	Golden Globe	Kim Basinger
1997	Best Director (nominee)	Golden Globe	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	Brian Helgeland
1997	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Original Score (nominee)	Golden Globe	Jerry Goldsmith
1997	Best Director (winner)	Los Angeles Film Critics Association	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	Los Angeles Film Critics Association	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	Los Angeles Film Critics Association	Brian Helgeland
1997	Best Cinematography (winner)	Los Angeles Film Critics Association	Dante Spinotti
1997	Best Adapted Screenplay (winner)	Broadcast Film Critics Association	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Adapted Screenplay (winner)	Broadcast Film Critics Association	Brian Helgeland
1997	Best Director (nominee)	Directors Guild of America	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Adapted Screenplay (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Adapted Screenplay (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Brian Helgeland
1997	Best Art Direction (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Jeannine Oppewall
1997	Best Art Direction (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Jay R. Hart
1997	Best Cinematography (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Dante Spinotti
1997	Best Director (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Editing (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Peter Honess
1997	Best Dramatic Score (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Jerry Goldsmith
1997	Best Picture (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Andy Nelson
1997	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Anna Behlmer
1997	Best Sound (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Kirk A. Francis
1997	Best Supporting Actress (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Kim Basinger
1997	Best Director (winner)	National Board of Review	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Director [Runner-up] (winner)	Toronto Film Critics Association	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Director (winner)	Chicago Film Critics Association	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	Chicago Film Critics Association	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	Chicago Film Critics Association	Brian Helgeland
1997	Best Director (winner)	National Society of Film Critics	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	National Society of Film Critics	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	National Society of Film Critics	Brian Helgeland
1997	Best Supporting Actress (winner)	Screen Actors Guild	Kim Basinger
1997	Best Cinematography (nominee)	American Society of Cinematographers	Dante Spinotti
1997	Best Director (winner)	New York Film Critics Circle	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	New York Film Critics Circle	Curtis Hanson
1997	Best Screenplay (winner)	New York Film Critics Circle	Brian Helgeland
1997	Best Picture (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Michael Nathanson

Loaded with original supplements (if not that elusive director's commentary track), the DVD of =L.A. Confidential makes its mark as one of the better DVDs in the early development of the format, but leaves something to be desired in the age of the two-disc special edition. Warner DVD made a valiant attempt at a feature-loaded DVD and presented the film in anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen and Dolby Digital. Present are three documentaries (all which fall under the half-hour mark), trailers, TV spots, and a music-only track for Jerry Goldsmith's score. The first documentary, Off the Record, focuses primarily on the task of translating James Ellroy's novel to the screen, but also includes some rare screen tests. Second is a video version of the original photo pitch that Curtis Hanson gave the producers, conveying through pictures of L.A. in the '50s the movie he wanted to make. Lastly, there is a feature that allows the viewer to take a virtual tour -- narrated by the director -- of the Los Angeles of the film by selecting a location from a map menu. While not an authoritative edition of the film, the =L.A. Confidential DVD remains one of the best early special edition discs. ~ Oliver Thornton, All Movie Guide

These movies share cast/crew with L.A. Confidential...
2	Martial Arts: 50 Movie Pack
9	Bedroom Window (R)
32	The River Wild (PG-13)
27	The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (R)
2	Bad Influence (R)
5	Losin' It (R)
2	White Dog
2	The Silent Partner (R)
3	Never Cry Wolf [Widescreen/Fullscreen] (PG)
9	Six Degrees of Separation (R)
52	The Negotiator (R)
61	A Time to Kill (R)
42	Legend [Collector's Edition] (R)
39	The Quick and the Dead [Fullscreen/Widescreen] (R)
10	Once Upon a Time in America (R)
8	Memoirs of an Invisible Man (PG-13)
46	The Postman (R)
86	Conspiracy Theory (R)
These movies cover the same subjects as L.A. Confidential...
?	Feast of Death: The Dark Places of James Ellroy
These movies are similar to L.A. Confidential...
23	Chinatown [Widescreen & 25th Anniversary Edition] (R)
3	Farewell, My Lovely (R)
4	The Laughing Policeman (R)
2	The Long Goodbye (R)
10	Touch of Evil (NR)
6	The Two Jakes (R)
4	Devil in a Blue Dress (R)
7	Mulholland Falls (R)
22	Cop Land (R)
52	The Negotiator (R)
S	Brown's Requiem [Letterbox] (R)
74	Traffic (R)
104	Training Day (R)
21	Dark Blue (R)
54	The Black Dahlia [Widescreen] (R)
7	The Million Dollar Hotel (R)
38	Hollywoodland [Widescreen] (R)
S	Hollywood Confidential (R)
10	Lonely Hearts (R)