(World, I present to you… Mr. Crowe.)
CAST: Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn, Ron Rifkin, Paul Guilfoyle. Matt McCoy, Paolo Seganti.
DIRECTOR: Curtis Hanson
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and more unabashed Russell Crowe worship - straight ahead.
The year 1997 was a significant one for me. That was the year that I became Russell Crowe’s bitch. Figuratively speaking, that is. Hopefully, literally is just around the corner. Ahem.
A few years prior to 1997, Crowe had arrived quietly on American shores from Australia and was slowly making his presence known in our movies, after making a significant mark on his native country‘s own. He held his own against Gene Hackman and Sharon Stone in 1994’s feminist western THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, and energetically chewed the scenery opposite Denzel Washington on VIRTUOSITY (1995). Neither of these films, though, tapped into the reservoir of talent that was apparently just bubbling beneath that ruggedly handsome surface.
In L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, which is kind of like Crowe’s debutante ball, he plays Bud White, a LAPD cop in 1953 Los Angeles who speaks scarily but menacingly, and carries a big but gargantuan stick. And he ain’t afraid to use it, too. Walking around with a buzz cut just a bit shorter than the Caesar do that Maximus would forever associate with sexiness in GLADIATOR three years later, Bud White is the textbook definition of the phrases “oozing with testosterone” and “ticking time bomb.”
But Bud isn’t the only colorful character hanging around the LAPD, circa 1953. To wit, there are also: (1) Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a flashy glamour-puss of a detective who acts as some sort of consultant for a cop show; (2) Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), a straight-arrow by-the-book dweeb who is a better politician than Bill Clinton; (3) Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), the kind of police chief who doesn’t mind - nay, encourages - if his troops smack some suspects around; and (4) Dick Stensland (Graham Beckel), a fat fuck slob of a cop who is Bud’s partner and likes to beat up on suspects based on the flimsiest of info (you’ll see).
It’s in the aftermath of one of Stensland’s illegal beat-downs that our main characters get embroiled. See, the top brass want someone to testify in a dog-and-pony show meant to the make the LAPD look like it doesn’t condone police brutality. I should probably mention that the only reason the top brass is this determined is because a reporter just happened to snap a picture of Stensland whaling on a Mexican suspect. Call my cynical, but I have a feeling the police commissioner wouldn’t have blinked even once about the whole thing if there wasn’t a photograph to document the fact that he has some neanderthals in the rank and file.
Anyhow, Bud pretty much tells the top brass that he will not testify against his partner - and they can kiss his fine ass. For this, he gets his badge and gun confiscated and is placed on suspension. Totally worth it, says the look in Bud’s eyes. At least he’s comfortable in the knowledge he’s not a goddamn snitch.
Exley, unfortunately, has no such issue. Not only is he willing to testify against Stensland, but he also strong-arms the top brass into giving him a promotion to Detective Lieutenant because of it. And the dipshits agree. I wasn’t kidding around when I wrote Exley makes Bill Clinton look like a politically-challenged yokel. You almost have to admire the fucker. Unless, of course, you’re Bud White and Dick Stensland - who basically declare a jihad against him.
And what about our golden glamour-boy, Jack Vincennes? Well, he just rolls his eyes, adjusts his hair, and stays out of the fray. Probably wondering what the hell the big deal is anyway. It’s not like this kind of thing hasn’t happened before. Jack, for his part, just goes on doing what he does best: (1) smiling, (2), taking bribes left and right, and (3) consorting with uber-tabloid writer Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito).
And that’s before the central mystery has even ignited. As you can see, our heroes need more drama in their lives the way a meth-head needs an all-access pass to Meth Labs R Us. But more drama, they eventually get. In the form of a massacre at a local diner called The Nite Owl. And one of the victims… is one of their own: Dick Stensland.
As you can imagine, Bud doesn’t take this lightly, and digs into the case. Unfortunately, our clawing-his-way-to-the-top expert Exley is the one officially assigned to the Nite Owl case, and to state that Bud and Exley investigating the same case causes some conflict, doesn’t so much qualify as the Understatement of the Year - but of the millenium.
While Exley is honing on a rather bogus-sounding lead about a trio of “Negro” youths, as the movie refers to them, who were discharging firearms in the vicinity of the Nite Owl, Bud pursues another lead. This one is based on the identity of the female victims. She is Susan Lefferts (Amber Smith), and Bud remembers meeting her one night during a booze run. I must interject at this point that I am not making this shit up.
Not only does Bud remember meeting Susan the night of his booze run, but he also remembers meeting: (1) her hot, blonde, Veronica Lake-lookalike acquaintance, Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger); (2) Pierce Patchett (David Straithairn), evidently some sort of Stone Cold Pimp; and (3) Buzz Meeks (Darrell Sandeen), former LAPD cop and now Pierce’s chauffeur. Do any of these folks know how Susan wound up at the Nite Owl at the wrong time?
Bud starts with Lynn because, well, she’s the hottest. During his visit to her decidedly upscale house, Bud (and we) finds out the following about her: (1) she is actually a prostitute who has dyed her hair blonde to resemble Veronica Lake; (2) Susan was another hooker who was meant to look like… well, I’m not really sure… I’d say Julia Roberts, but this was 1953, and Julia was still in her father’s nutsac; (3) Pierce is their pimp (I knew it!); and (4) Lynn has the unerring ability to fire up a King-Sized boner in Bud’s pants.
Which complicates things a bit, because its hard enough to unravel a serpentine mystery without having to contend with an attraction to someone who just might be one of the baddies. Just ask James Bond. Anyhow, Exley is also running into problems with his own lead. The three, ahem, African-American kids are clearly not behind the Nite Owl murders, but the LAPD seems content to the hang that particular rap around their neck. Our wheeler-and-dealer Exley, however, realizes that he has to team up with someone he never thought he would, if he wants to truly solve the case. If you’re guessing I’m referring to Bud White, then you win all-expense paid trip to your corner AM/PM for some Gatorade.
Meanwhile, Jack Vincennes has been pursuing his own leads on the Nite Owl Murders - and has been uncovering even more disturbing questions. Such as: are the murders somehow related to the LAPD? And if so, who is the mastermind? Will Bud and Exley be able to work together? Will Jack join them when they ask for his help? Is Lynn is good or bad? And will the case be compromised when she and Bud begin a torrid affair? Will Jack, Bud, and Exley sign their death warrants by pursuing the case? Will Dudley Smith take their concerns seriously? Or will he just poo-poo them in the great tradition of Cinematic Bosses Who Don’t Learn Until It’s Too Late?
Only if you believe Lynn Bracken is a natural blonde…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: When critics refer to films that are layered and multi-faceted, they are referring to films that appear to be one thing on the surface - then gradually deepen to touch on other themes, turning into something quite unexpected. A prime example of the layered and multi-faceted film is L.A. CONFIDENTIAL. The movie is like a Chinese puzzle box: just when you think you’ve solved one mystery, two more unfold in its place. And just when you think you’ve got those solved, another two materialize tantalizingly.
And it’s not just the plot of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL that is constantly shifting and transforming. The characters are equally complex. In fact, it’s the strength of the characters that elevates L.A. CONFIDENTIAL to the level of a classic film-noir/thriller. As novelist Ben Mears (Rob Lowe) opined in SALEM’S LOT: complex characters can elevate genre. And in the case of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, boy, do they ever. Because of the intriguing, fleshed-out characters on display, the film becomes a remarkably intelligent and engaging thriller - and not the overheated melodrama it could have been.
While the terrific script by Brian Helgeland (based on the novel by James Ellroy) and the assured, stylish direction of Curtis Hanson deserve praise, both would be adrift were it not for the perfect cast of actors assembled to bring the story to life. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is a figurative perfect storm of formidable acting talent: Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, Graham Beckel, and David Straithairn.
The trio of heroes that form the center of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL also anchor the film in such a way that you are with them every step of the way as they try to unravel the Nite Owl Murder, clearly just the tip of a very complicated - and frightening - iceberg. Jack Vincennes, Ed Exley, and Bud White are very different from one another but also complement each other quite well.
Kevin Spacey effectively reveals the complexity under Jack’s flashy party boy exterior. As his involvement with the Nite Owl murders intensifies, and as his encounters with straight-arrow Ed Exley increase, Jack re-discovers some of the integrity and idealism that might have been suffocated by too much time rubbing elbows with Tinseltown’s superficial element.
Speaking of Ed Exley, Guy Pearce makes him a truly memorable character. At first, Exley seems to be the kind of guy that every office has: careerist, opportunistic, cunning, ambitious. However, as we get to know him, we see more admirable traits in him: moral, idealistic, honest. While Exley wants to get ahead, he does have strong values that make him more than just an politically-minded drone. It’s this moral core that forces him to look beyond the “easy solution” of the three African-American teenagers to ferret out the real solution behind the Nite Owl murders.
As good as Spacey and Pearce are, though, make no mistake: this film’s beating heart is the relationship between Russell Crowe’s Bud White and Kim Basinger’s Lynn Bracken.
Russell Crowe almost steals the film with his portrayal of White. Established in the early going as some sort of brutal thug - big on muscle, short on brains - White gradually turns into the most fascinating of the three heroes. Especially when we learn about his grim past. This sad history explains the protective impulse he has for women, and is also the Achilles Heel that entices him into a relationship with Lynn. Ultimately, Bud is just as smart as his two partners - perhaps evens smarter, since his hidden intelligence is fueled by a sensitive nature that allows him to intuit things that a more logical person might miss. Bud White is one of the most compelling characters to grace the silver screen: brutal, but sensitive; naïve, but smart; damaged, but noble. Along with Maximus Decidius Meridius from GLADIATOR, Ben Wade from 3:10 TO YUMA, and - most powerfully - John Nash from A BEAUTIFUL MIND, this role is another of Russell Crowe’s biggest acting triumphs.
However, it would be unfair to not include Kim Basinger as a reason that Crowe does so well. As Lynn Bracken, his romantic partner in the film, Basinger gives us one of cinema’s most sympathetic and interesting femme fatales. I recall an interview with Meryl Streep wherein she stated that “femme fatale” roles weren’t something she was too fond of because most of those roles are often about artifice and surface mystery rather than genuine emotional depths or “realness.” And she has a point.
But in the case of Lynn Bracken, Basinger gives us a woman who is a femme fatale but also a real, full-blooded character. While Lynn is indeed mysterious, she is not unfathomable - and Basinger wisely portrays her as an open book. This technique is interesting because it draws us to her but actually also makes us wonder if Lynn is up to something - basically pulling some sort of “reverse-psychology” on Bud. As the film goes on, however, we (and Bud) slowly realize that Lynn is simply being honest and genuine with him. This woman has clearly seen a lot and has become a pragmatist who accepts where she is in life - but is no victim. Her initial scenes with Bud have a light, teasing nature that is also underscored by a sense of melancholy. It’s this hidden sadness that Bud obviously senses - and it draws him to her like a moth to the flame.
Basinger’s beautifully understated and sensitive performance was rewarded with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress - and it is much deserved.
The rest of the cast are vivid in their various crucial supporting roles. James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Straithairn, Graham Beckel, Simon Baker, and Matt McCoy all nail their colorful characters, lending further depth and texture to the dazzling tapestry that is L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.
Another modern masterpiece…
