
directed by
Curtis Hanson
featuring
Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, David Strathairn, Danny DeVito
Based on the best-selling novel by James Ellroy and directed by Curtis Hanson, this award-winning crime drama explores both the dark side of the Los Angeles police force and Southern California's criminal underbelly in the early '50s, when Hollywood was still seen as America's capital of sophistication, glitter, and glamour. Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) is the head of the LAPD and is loyal to his officers and eager to turn a blind eye to violence or corruption within his department, as long as it's the "bad guys" who are ...
mehaul
Sep 23, 2010
Most of the casting is dyslexic The leads (Crowe and Pearce) are from Australia and the bad guy (Cromwell) is American speaking with a brogue. The other Americans (Spacey, Basinger and DeVito) do well as Americans. This is a period piece so to find the right 'look' for LA of the 50s, they shot many scenes in some of the oldest most rundown areas of the city (Everything else has been ;Urban Renewed') The lighting use is good a lot of the time. The costumes are authentic fifties duds. The dialogue apart from the accents, is very in tune with telling the tale. There are some sudden events which make you lose your socks and some others that make you check if there's popcorn left. But all-in-all, a delightful weaving of law enforcement gone bad then good then bad then worse then wonderful. The background songs and scored music are wonderfully hits from the era and Jerrry Goldsmith.
The DVD is chock full of stuff except it has no looped voice over commentary. The director has a couple of interviews/explains in the extra features. Also included is an 'interactive map' of the city that shows where the action was supposed to take place and explains about where it really took place. interesting crumb. Try it, you'll like it on the QT , say no more and Hush hsuh bye bye.
1 Silent Rating