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L.A. Confidential

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James Ellroy has always been a tough proposition for Hollywood, even though his hard-boiled crime novels are steeped in film noir mythology. Few anticipated that Curtis Hanson — up to then considered little more than a sound craftsman — would solve the problems in LA Confidential, a sprawling, complex and sordid book about Tinseltown sleaze and police graft in the 1950s.

Armed with a shrewdly condensed screenplay by Brian Helgeland, Hanson excelled himself: the movie emerged as a modern classic, a polished neo-noir probing the social (racial, sexual) hypocrisies festering in the city of dreams. That the movie came out just a few years after the Rodney King riots suggested that its portrait of endemic police brutality and corruption was still very much relevant. Featuring career-transforming performances from Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey and Guy Pierce, the movie picked up nine Oscar nominations.

An irresistible treat with enough narrative twists and memorable characters for a half-dozen films.

Todd McCarthy, Variety

Curtis Hanson’s resplendently wicked L.A. Confidential is a tough, gorgeous, vastly entertaining throwback to the Hollywood that did things right.

Janet Maslin, New York Times

 

Media Partner

Director

Curtis Hanson

Cast

Russell Crowe, Guy Pierce, Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell

Credits
Country of Origin

USA

Year

1997

Language

English

19+
138 min

Book Tickets

Friday August 07

5:30 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
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Thursday August 13

8:10 pm
Hearing Assistance
VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema
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Credits

Producer

Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, Michael Nathanson

Screenwriter

Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson

Cinematography

Dante Spinotti

Editor

Peter Honess

Original Music

Jerry Goldsmith

Production Design

Jeannine Oppewall

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