Movie Poster

... Rollo Tamasi

# Review

The film takes place in 1950s Los Angeles and follows the story of three drastically different detectives in the LAPD: Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a suave well-dressed man who works as a film consultant in his spare time, Bud White (Russell Crowe), a brutal and violent protector of women, and Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), the strait-laced son of a hero cop trying to politically move up in the force. The three are caught up in a murder investigation involving a fellow police officer Stensland (Graham Beckel) that uncovers a broader conspiracy.

The mystery is filled with twists and turns and explores themes such as race and police corruption. The film explores the concepts of justice and law and how oftentimes the line between what is good and what is evil is blurry. The performance of the three main characters are all solid. The interrogation scene in the police department is probably one of my favourite detective movie scenes ever.

I really liked the character design and development for all three main characters. The side characters are also very engaging, such as Danny DeVito’s slimy tabloid reporter Sid Hudgens, David Strathairn’s calm and collected Pierce Patchett, and Kim Basinger’s sultry call girl Lynn Bracket. The costume and set designs are both excellent and evoke a sense of the 50s film noir.

# Conclusion

I kind of want to replay L.A. Noire after this.

# Overall rating: 8.0

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