L.A. Confidential

MOVIE: L.A. Confidential (1997)

LENGTH: 138 minutes

GENRE: Neo-Noir, Crime, Drama

WARNING: There is violence, nudity, language, and sexual content.

PLOT SUMMARY 

A string of murders in 1950s Los Angeles bring out the growing corruption, and spurs three cops to pursue their own ideas of justice – one by-the-book cop, Det. Lt. Edmund “Ed” Exley (Guy Pearce), one brutal cop, Officer Wendell “Bud” White (Russell Crowe), and one Hollywood cop, Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) .

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THIS MOVIE 

Well, if you want to see a modern film noir movie, this would definitely be a great choice. The film is based on James Ellroy’s 1990 novel of the same name and was beautifully adapted by Curtis Hanson (also the director) and Brian Helgeland. This is the third book in the L.A. Quartet series. Just think, Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe were relatively unknown actors at the time, and producers were worried the film would not fare well with critics and the box office because of it. Thank goodness the producers did not halt production. This went on to become a hit and went head to head with Titanic, which was released the same year. If you want a gritty film that gives you some feels on the side, then this movie is definitely for you.

Russell Crowe’s character Officer Wendell “Bud” White, is nothing short of gold. Bud is an incredibly brusque man that loves being a cop and occassional police brutality is all part of the job, to him. He has a tragic background that inspired him to be a cop, and though he is a barbwire on the outside, he is a ball of sensitivity and mush on the inside. He is the kind of cop you would expect to do many unethical things that make you want to overthrow the police department, but he also has a strong moral compass that makes you scratch your head at his flip-flopping complexity. Bud is a great character because of how flawed he is. When he sets his sights on something wrong or something that seems off, no one can stop him from getting to the bottom of it. I like and dislike this character all at the same time because he is very “solve problems with fists” kind of person, that part I don’t like so much. His reaction to certain events, get a way overreaction from him, and makes it very hard to completely like Bud. Bud ultimately does want the greater good, he just has a heck of a time going about achieving this greater good.

Say what you want about the real-life skeezy Kevin Spacey, but I will just focus on his character Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes, in this film. Jack Vincennes is that kind of cop that becomes more interested in consulting for Hollywood than actually being a cop. It takes a string of murders and collusion to get him to try investigating like a real cop again. When he actually tries, he makes a really good cop, despite having a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

Guy Pearce does a wonderful job playing Det. Lt. Edmund “Ed” Exley. Ed is a great cop, a bit stuffy, but he’s a good cop. He is a straight arrow on the job and a sleaze-ball in his personal life. He is not the one you would root for when it comes to his rocky professional relationship with Bud. Honestly, you would probably hate him for a bit but that’s okay, his skills and dedication to justice almost supersede his mission to piss off Bud. He is an interesting supporting character, that deserves a hand-shake and a good punch in the face.

There are some real gems in this movie like the Veronica Lake look-alike prostitute Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger) and the annoying reporter Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito). There are so many characters that pop up that have you scratching your head and make you appalled, but that would really give the movie away. Kim Basinger, a rising star back in the day, plays a pretty tame and strangely like-able character. She is a prostitute that has a weakness for Bud, and dreams of a better life for herself. Sid is a sleaze-ball journalist that could put modern paparazzi to shame, but he plays his little part in the chaos that is 1950s L.A.

This movie has that authentic 1950s L.A. feel to it: the Hollywood scandals, the not so subtle racism, and corruption. The film style has a natural lighting feel to it but the costumes, the location, and the language really immerse and a time that passed long ago. This is a thrilling mystery that has one twist and turn after the other, but not in a way that makes it hard to follow the plot line. The plot line is simple, and the film in its entirety is a great work of art.

LAST THOUGHTS 

I definitely think that Kevin Spacey’s reprehensible behavior deserves all the attention it has received and will receive. Commenting on his performance in this film does not make me think he is a good person, or any less deserving of the backlash he has received.

FUN MOVIE FACTS 

1.) In 2015, L.A. Confidential was chosen by the United States Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry, for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

2.) Some of the events in the film are true. There really was a Christmas Eve police riot, and a lurid celebrity gossip magazine called “Hush-Hush.” Blonde bombshell Lana Turner really did have a romance with mobster Johnny Stompanato.

3.) L.A. Confidential was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won two.

Academy Award nominations:

Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Kim Basinger

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published – Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson

Best Picture – Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, Michael G. Nathanson

Best Director – Curtis Hanson

Best Cinematography – Dante Spinotti

Best Art Direction-Set Decoration – Jeannine Oppewall, Jay Hart

Best Sound – Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Kirk Francis

Best Film Editing – Peter Honess

Best Music, Original Dramatic Score – Jerry Goldsmith

Academy Award wins:

Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Kim Basinger

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published – Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson

 

 

 

Sources

1.) Film poster for L.A. Confidential: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.A._Confidential_(film)

2.) https://www.moviefone.com/2017/09/18/la-confidential-movie-trivia/

3.) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119488/

 

Chinatown

 

MOVIE: Chinatown (1974) 

LENGTH: 131 minutes

GENRE: Neo Noir Mystery

WARNING: This film is not for children, it has sexual content, violence, and implied incest. Also no happy ending with this one.

PLOT SUMMARY 

The film takes place in 1937 and begins in the office of private investigator J.J. “Jake” Gittes (played by the amazing Jack Nicholson). A woman, identifying herself as Evelyn Mulwray, hires Gittes to follow her husband Hollis Mulwray. Gittes follows the man and sees him publicly oppose the creation of a new reservoir.

The once seemingly simple case turns complicated when another woman (played by the fabulous Faye Dunaway) comes into Gittes’ office saying she is the real Evelyn Mulwray. Soon after Gittes realizes he has been set up, Hollis Mulwray is found dead. Gittes wants to get to the bottom of who set him up and why, but learns more than he bargained for.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THIS MOVIE 

This film is one of the most well known films directed by the infamous Roman Polanski and one of the most famous film noir screenplays. The entire movie is one giant metaphor for greed and the lengths some will go to for control, and in the case of this movie, the control of a water source. I heard about this film from one of my high school teachers who said this was their favorite movie of all time and even let me borrow a copy of theirs so I could experience this film myself. Let’s just I loved it!

Jack Nicholson is in this movie! I guarantee this will not be the last movie I write about that will have him in it. The role was specifically made for Jack Nicholson. Nicholson’s friend, Robert Towne, who is also the writer of this film, said he wouldn’t have written the Jake Gittes character if he hadn’t known Jack Nicholson. Gittes is not too hard of a character to like; he is determined and very good at his job. The entire film is seen through Gittes’ eyes, so you don’t know more than he knows and learn all the disturbing facts about the case at the same time Gittes does.

Faye Dunaway does wonderfully in this film as well. You’ll sympathize with her character (on the right) as the film goes on, but even before that you are hoping she doesn’t turn out to be one of the bad guys. You’ll wonder just as Gittess does, how Evelyn fits into everything but you’ll see the disturbing truth as it comes to light. I’m not saying whether she does or doesn’t turn out to be one of the bad ones, my lips are sealed.

Overall the whole film’s theme is about the lengths horrible people go to just to gain power and there is some incest in the mix just to make an already horrible story worse. Interestingly, a big motif in the film was showing twin objects or people, with one always having a flaw of some sort – like one good pocket watch and one broken pocket watch. Though Towne has said that these motifs were unintentional, they still add a level of mystery and bleakness of reality to the film.

LAST THOUGHTS 

I enjoyed the film despite it not having a happy ending. I’m a sucker for a happy ending, but even the ending that Towne wanted for the film would not have been happy. The ending you will see in this film was Roman Polanski’s idea, not Towne’s.

FUN MOVIE FACTS 

1.) This movie was supposed to be the first of a trilogy, but after the 1990 sequel, The Two Jakes, written by Robert Towne and directed by Jack Nicholson bombed in the box office, the entire idea was dropped. However, each film in the would-be trilogy was going to be centered on a different source of power. The first film is all about trying to gain power by controlling a water source, the second is about oil, and the third was going to be about land.

2.) This film was chosen by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry in 1991.

3.) This film was nominated for 11 Oscars during the 47th Academy Awards, but only won one of its nominations, since it was going against an Academy Award favorite at the time, The Godfather: Part II.

Academy Award win:

Best Original Screenplay – Robert Towne

Academy Award nominations:

Best Picture – Robert Evans

Best Director – Roman Polanski

Best Actor – Jack Nicholson

Best Film Editing – Sam O’Steen

Best Art Direction – Richard Sylbert, W. Stewart Campbell, Ruby Levitt

Bet Costume Design – Anthea Sylbert

Best Cinematography – John A. Alonzo

Best Sound Mixing – Bud Grenzbach, Larry Jost

Best Music Score – Jerry Goldsmith

 

Sources

1.) Chinatown movie poster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown_(1974_film)

2.) Picture of Jack Nicholson as Gittes: http://www.southphillyfilmclub.com/chinatown

3.) Picture of Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/569705421591319030/

4.) http://mentalfloss.com/article/67901/12-nosy-facts-about-chinatown