One Paragraph Movie Review: L.A. Confidential

Two hundred and ninety-sixth film: L.A. Confidential, the twisty neo-noir cop drama that is as quintessentially American as anything else that has two Australians and a Kiwi in it. Three cops, played by Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe are as different as chalk and cheese and pavlova, yet they all end up having the same goals: solving a murder amidst rampant police corruption and making serious faces. Like a lot of noir you have to concentrate ridiculously hard at all times to make sure you don’t miss any names, facts, or clues, but in this one the pay-off is a sublime, well-managed reveal. For the same reason, though, the second watch is better — and less exhausting — than the first. I actively dislike three of the actors in this movie, but love the movie — so it’s probably good. Four hookers cut to look like Lana Turner out of five.