I went to see a sneak preview of L.A. Confidential tonight, a film I have been awaiting with bated breath largely because it stars the second most perfect man on earth, Australian actor Russell Crowe. I'm not sure if this is the best film I've seen all year -- I'd have to check my records -- but it sure as hell is a runner-up. It's set in 1950s Los Angeles and deals with the corruption and violence rampant in the LAPD (corruption and violence in the LAPD? I know, try to suspend your disbelief). And you won't find a better looking, more powerful cast in a movie this year: my boy Russell, Guy Pearce (another Aussie), Kevin Spacey, David Strathairn, James Cromwell (all right, so he's not so buff any more).
I LOVED THIS MOVIE!! I can't remember the last time I was so intently absorbed in the world created by a film. It felt long, but I mean that in the best way -- I felt like I was living the action along with the characters. It's based on a classic pulp novel by James Ellroy, and it has the feel of those noir, Raymond Chandler films of the '40s and '50s, except it's in brilliant, vivid color (some fantastic set designs, by the way). The plot is so complex and tightly woven that I couldn't explain it if I wanted to -- and I don't want to, because part of the fun is following the twists and turns. It's smart -- always refreshing in a movie these days -- and even the clunky expository speeches are handled relatively well.
The acting is sensational: James Cromwell especially deserves recognition, shining as the police captain who hides menace beneath a mild Irish brogue. Guy Pearce is steely-eyed and -jawed as the straight arrow Lt. Ed Exley, whose political skills put Lyndon Johnson to shame. Kevin Spacey, as always, is an absolute joy to watch -- I think he should get an Oscar every year, whether he's in a movie that year or not, just for being Kevin Spacey.
And Russell Crowe is (okay, I'm biased) superb, exuding that blend of romance and menace as only he can, as Officer Bud White, whose Freudian thing for rescuing damsels in distress manifests itself in animal brutality. Unfortunately, my poor Russell has to suffer a greater indignity than his atrocious haircut -- he has to make goo-goo eyes at that talentless bimbo Kim Basinger (who's looking a little long in the tooth to be impersonating the gamine-ish Veronica Lake).
The movie gives you a lot to think about, mostly about justice -- all the variations and nuances of what justice really is and how it can be achieved. I just bought the book, which is surprisingly thick, so I'll report on that when I've read it. In the meantime, L.A. Confidential opens at theaters nationwide next Friday, so GO SEE IT!!!
And one rant: AMC Theaters is apparently testing a new service wherein they send people up and down the aisles of the theater taking concessions orders. What a terrible idea! In a packed theater, such as this one was, it was incredibly disruptive, as people stumbled over each other trying to get their food and money to and from the order-takers. And although they stopped the service a good five minutes before the previews started, I foresee a slippery slope -- next thing you know, they'll be circulating during the movie. Hey AMC, if you really want to improve your customers' experience, how about sending those people up and down the aisle during the movie, not to take food orders, but to hush the idiots who are carrying on conversations?
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