On L List of Movie Reviews
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L.A. Confidential (1997)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
10/04, 2/14
2/14:
I saw L.A. Confidential in 1997 and found it overrated.
It's the same sentiment again in 2004, and now, nothing has changed. The pathetic screenplay, unbelievable manipulation
of logic, and awful acting are the downfall of this show. I cringe at how racist it is.
Letting her breasts do the work, Kim Basinger wins the Oscar for her fake performance. Ever since she played Elizabeth
in 9½ Weeks, she has forgotten how to act. Her co-star Russell Crowe is so over the top that it's hard to believe
that his character can constantly maintain the wrecking-ball personality. I'm baffled by how he's fit to be a police officer.
The sight of James Cromwell is a dead giveaway because he's obviously the bad guy which ruins the element of surprise. To make
it worse, the political maneuvering by Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce) is unrealistic and illogical because, quite simply, he has no
clout to begin with.
Throughout, the avalanche of illegal police tactics push the envelope so far that the plot ceases to be believable.
Today, critics and idiots alike regard L.A. Confidential as a great neo-noir. No, it's not. It was not,
is not, and will never be labeled as a neo-noir. In fact, it's the quintessential pseudo-neo-noir.
All in all, L.A. Confidential is one of the most overrated films ever, and that's not going to be off the record, on
the QT, and very hush-hush.