Whatever else he is Spacey is an incredible actor. He was my favorite actor in the 90's with a string of memorable performances in this, Seven, The Usual Suspects, American Beauty etc...
@@scottjo63 Swimming With Sharks. Also starring the incredible little-known legend, Frank Whaley (Career Opportunities, Born On The 4th Of July, Pulp Fiction, The Doors etc.)
The scene when Smith questions Exley is awesome. Guy Pearce had to do recognising the name, realising what it means and then having to cover up his reaction so Smith doesn’t suspect in one close-up with dialogue.
The author of the novel, James Ellroy, is known for writing these dense novels set in Los Angeles around the same time period. A lot of them are connected, so you'll see characters and events from L.A. Confidential in other books. Honestly, I'm almost not quite smart enough to read them. They aren't easy books, but they are worth it. That being said, Ellroy has said in an interview that the movie L.A. Confidential was the only adaptation of one of his novels that he was happy with. It simplified and clarified the book without dumbing it down.
From the James Ellroy trio of books "The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential, White Jazz" a smart author could pull off an amazing noir television series, with the 1950's LA reconstructed in CGI (like Frisco in Zodiac). But It would take an astronomical budget and nowadays they'll never allowed the use of the strong racial language of the times.
I agree, the novel was incredibly difficult I couldn't finish it. It had so much information I had to literally play detective in order to make sense of it. It is well written and I'm sure it's a thrill for some people. This movie was also quite dense compared to other films but all the plots weaved together coherently and the twists are amazing!
@@Stephie_L It took a couple tries for me as well. It's worth it to dig into his stuff. The Underworld USA trilogy is even better than the original LA Quartet if you ask me.
David Strathairn also deserves much praise here, as Pierce Patchett. Then again, he deserves praise for nearly everything he does. Amazing actor. If you want to see another great period film not too far off this timeline with Strathairn in a lead role, make sure and react to Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck." Excellent, excellent film. Also, while we're on about mid-century period films, why not lead the pack, and do a reaction to Robert Redford's (superb) 1994 "Quiz Show"? It's wonderfully executed, written and acted, with a stellar cast. Plus you get to see Mira Sorvino topless in capris. (Wait, I may have just imagined that part . . .)
@@Rhymester2113 Yes, after the first viewing I felt like I'd been punched in the face and left the theater literally holding myself up by the wall in a daze.
If you ever decide to dip your toes into classic noir, I'd recommend Double Indemnity, The Maltese Falcon, Out of the Past, The Killing, Touch of Evil, and Sweet Smell of Success. They are all masterpieces and a lot of fun to watch.
Also, Shan, once you're accustomed to classic noir tropes, I'd recommend Kiss Me Deadly (1955) directed by Robert Aldrich. It tweaks some of the parameters in interesting ways, and is so raw it's frankly amazing it got made in 1955, and indeed was banned/censored in some countries.
Also The Woman In The Window is a fun one as well. The Stranger with Orson Welles and Edward G. Robinson. Obsession has a sort of Silence of the Lambs kind of vibe to it. It's not as gruesome though.
Have to mention here that The Maltese Falcon was the first film noir, and set the blueprint for the genre to follow. If you want to see the classic Alpha male, it's Bogie in The Maltese Falcon.
This movie weaves real life events into the story. Bloody Christmas was a real incident, Mickey Cohen was sent up for income tax evasion, and he did have a bodyguard named Johnny Stampanato who really did date Lana Turner.
@@88wildcat There's also a great story about Sean Connery and how he was working on a film with Lana Turner in England and the tabloids of that time published stories that made it sound like they were having an affair. This story got picked up in the US and this resulted in Lana Turner's mob enforcer boyfriend Stompanato getting jealous and flying to England. He arrived on the movie set as they were filming a romantic scene and pulled a gun, threatening Connery with it. Connery grabbed Stompanato's wrist, twisted it and disarmed him and then decked him with a single punch.
@@Welsh_Dragon756 that’s His first book of his la quartet and it was adapted by Brian de palma and was botched by the studio his rough cut which is basically like a “still in the progress” cut was 3hrs long they cut an hour which ruined the movie as a result and the author hated the theatrical version but liked the rough cut and thought that it was much better and faithful
@@mohammedashian8094 Also worth noting that when we talk about authors having a personal connection to the material you really get more personal than Ellroy. The Black Dahlia was a real - and still unsolved - murder and Ellroy's mother was murdered in LA at around the same time and with the same m.o.
I can count on one hand the amount of times I came out of a theater with my jaw dropped. The way a movie in this genre was edited and paced is stunning. It almost feels like an action movie akin to Raiders of the Lost Ark--it flows so well. Also, Crowe was a force of nature at the time. Had rarely experienced anything like his screen presence.
Where I don't disagree, as L.A. Confidential is a flawless film, Titanic was a cultural phenomenon. Never in my lifetime has a movie seemed to capture an entire nation and people of all ages like Titanic did. The sheer size of its impact around the globe was unprecedented. Most people I know saw it at least twice in the theater, maybe even more times than that. The song was one of the greatest songs of the 90s, as well as Cameron's direction was groundbreaking in that film. Costume design, cinematography, and musical score were all exemplary too. Again, I think L.A. Confidential is better film, but at the time there was no way Titanic was going to lose. It was just too big of a film to ignore at the Oscars. There was no doubt in everyone's mind that night that Titanic was going to tie or possibly break the record for most Academy Award wins. Had it lost, people would have been left dumbfounded.
@@pairofpints And that's your opinion. But millions, actually by this time probably even billions of people would disagree with that analysis. But hey, I am just explaining why it won and why it will continue to be celebrated and revered as one of the great films of the 20th century.
If you like complex film noirs, try out Humphrey Bogart's 1946 mega-classic The Big Sleep. Throughout the entire film, I was getting information at basically the same speed as his character, yet he was always about 20 minutes ahead of me with his mindblowing streetsmarts and focus. It rattles along like his character is a whirling dervish of tough detective skills in the middle of the film. (I believe there are at least two versions of it too). And I just love that motif in so many film noirs about how the central protagonist perseveres ten times longer than anyone else would have ... like they've crawled into a secret tunnel down to hell and just keep descending. I really enjoyed the less well know one Kiss Me Deadly too, which has some astonishing twists.
Absolute Masterpiece. Every aspect of this film was perfection snd the amazing acting of the entire cast was phenomenal. This is a perfect movie with nothing left to a slip in editing or lighting. Everything was perfect. This movie is top 10 film of all time. I’m not into noire type movies but this movie was just too damn good not to love.
@@bigneon_glitter Yes! One False Move is a great film. It got a lot of praise when it was released, but has become less popular over time. It still holds up very well.
has someone recommended Sunset Boulevard yet? a true noir classic.. sterling performances from William Holden and Gloria Swanson, directed by the legendary Billy Wilder..
Great review Shan. LA Confidential is one of my favorite films. My old AOL name was RolloTomasi in honor of the film. The Oscars nominated the film for 9 awards, and it took home two for Basinger for Supporting Actress and Adapted Screenplay. It received picture, director, editing, score, art direction, cinematography (Michael Mann's cinematographer), and sound nominations. Unfortunately, it was up against Titanic. 1997 was overall a great year. Good Will Hunting, As Good As It Gets (another favorite of mine), Wag the Dog, and Boogie Nights came out that season.
I love her line at the end of the movie, "Some men get the world, others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona." The look on Exley's face says that Bud White got the better deal.
I have enjoyed your commentary for a long time. I don't normally subscribe , but I have subscribed to your channel. A film which seems lost to time is BODY HEAT...in my humble opinion...one of the best neo-noires ever! No one EVER reacts to it. Please consider it. Body Heat stars a very young and beautiful Kathleen Turner and William Hurt. It is written and directed by the legendary Lawrence Kasdan. It is a love letter to all the noire films and femme fatales of the 40s & 50s. I admire your reactions and most of your film choices. Cheers!
Body Heat is a magnificent film. Kathleen Turner's film debut. Prior to Body Heat she had been on the soap opera The Doctors. I would love to see a film reaction.
No one requests this movie but its a film noir and stars Denzel Washington. Devil in a Blue Dress is sooooooo underrated. Please put it on your watchlist.
It delighted me to see this reaction; this is one of my favorite films, ever. I think Ed sleeps with Lynn because he is usually so focused and in control, but not with her. She sees his game and calls his bluff and he finds himself attracted to her frankness and intellect as much as her beauty. Lynn thinks sleeping with Ed will help Bud by tarnishing Ed’s heroic, boy scout public image (you can see her glance at the window over Ed’s shoulder when they are kissing; she knows Sid is out there taking photos). Anyway, that’s my take. Your reactions are always appreciated, please keep up the good content. 👍🏻
This time I was extra aware of the Dean Martin songs playing in the background -- the pop culture of the 50s presented an air of happy relaxed contentment - that was what most of America was seeing while the dirty crime business was being hidden. That juxtaposition is part of the theme.
Like "Chinatown", this movie uses glasses as a motif. Some people need them to see clearly around them. Captain Smith tells Exley to "lose the glasses. I can't think of a single man on the force that wears them". Ed even takes them off for the newspaper photographers posing with Dudley at the Night Owl. Smith doesn't want Ed to see the truth of the corruption around him.
The book takes place over several years and is monumentally complex. The fast pace is because they had to fit ALOT of stuff in the movie. This is one of those movies that was so good it made me want to read the book. The music does a fine job of relaying a "feeling" for the time and the story. One of my favorite films.
love this movie .. another great movie no one ever talks about or reviews is Body Heat... enjoy your more in depth analysis and review and that you take each movie's genre into consideration.. like if it is a slasher movie , was it good effects and plots etc.
A movie so good it could comfortably have come out in any decade that "talking pictures" have existed. It's an almost annoyingly perfect example of it's genre. Everyone involved was somehow able to distil all the best elements of every detective noir ever made into one (as I say) near perfect movie.
Another riveting reaction, Shan. Thanks for that. Did anyone catch James Cromwell's assistant during that DeVito beatdown? Same guy that tells Russell Crowe that he will meet his wife and kid in the afterlife (in Gladiator). So cool to see the actor in different costumes.
I like that you do such an in-depth critique of so many aspects of the films you review. I'd really enjoy seeing a list of films you have written, directed, edited, or otherwise had a hand in making.
You should check out Kim Basinger's early film, if not her first film "Blind Date". You can see Bruce Willis and John Larroquette in that film also. Kind of annoying, but it's also enjoyable enough.
Can’t second this enough! Out of Sight is a great Steven Soderbergh film & no one has done a reaction to it yet. Since we’re throwing Clooney out there, I’d add Three Kings, which is another overlooked movie from that era.
OH MY GOD SHAH, I just recommended this movie to another movie-watchers channel yesterday. Nice find! It's a great thriller, very novelistic and involved, a combination of pulp and high tier "prestige" film making!
My favorite bit of irony in the film... At the beginning Dudley says, " Jack, I doubt you've ever taken a stupid breath in your life... " At the end Jack uses his last breath to f--k Dudley. Dies with a hint of a smile.
The reveal was one of the few moments in my life where I witnesses a genuine, collective gasp from the audience. This film could have been DESTROYED in editing to keep it under 2hrs but the studio had the balls to go with the director and let the story breathe/develop. The result was a Great film - I can see why it is cited in many film schools.
I SAW THIS GREAT CLASSIC 10 YRS AFTER IT WAS MADE I COULDNT BELIEVE THAT HOLLYWOOD HAD THE TALENT , ACTORS , WRITERS AROUND TO MAKE A CLASSIC MASTERPIECE ALSO IN THE SAME CATEGORY BASIC INSTINCT BOTH CLASSIC
Hi Shan, love your reviews. You're the best reviewer/reactor that I have found on the web. Two comedy/romance films I think you would enjoy: High Fidelity starring John Cusack and Iben Hjejle with Jack Black and Sideways starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen. Both are independent films, funny, thoughtful and not your average sappy romcom.
Best theatre experience ever...saw this when I was a teenager and the theatre was packed...with an audience that was entirely over 50 yrs old ('cept me and my girl). They were *so* shocked by every bit of violence and plot twists that it elevated the film. I truly wish I could watch all movies in that same theatre with a bunch of old people. (Crap...just realized I'm one of the old people now. Oh well. Rollo Tomasi, I guess.)
David Strathairn (Pierce Patchett) being in this reminds me to once again recommend you react to "Good Night, and Good Luck". An outstanding film that you will love.
Excellent suggestions but they won't get watched. There seems to be a RU-vid reactor wide prejudice against classic black and white films. It's probably because there are so many simpletons that just won't give older movies a chance, so the views for such reaction videos would only be a fraction of what they normally are.
It's crazy to think about now, but Crowe and Pearce were essentially complete unknowns to American audiences when this came out. Crowe had been in Virtuosity and The Quick and the Dead, but neither was a huge hit with a large fanbase. Pearce's The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert had a dedicated cult fanbase, but your average movie-goer had probably never heard of it, much less seen it. Plus both men were Aussies being asked to do American accents as two of the leads in a lengthy period piece. Big risks taken by the filmmakers, but man oh man did they ever pay off. I think a lot of people walk away from the first viewing thinking Pearce is good but not as great as his co-stars, but subsequent viewings have made me appreciate his performance more and more.
Not to overload you in noir films, but please think about checking out "The Nice Guys" (2016). A 70's themed comedy noir. Top billing with Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling and Kim Basinger.
I have never seen a CGI movie monster or alien or whatever that was a terrifying as Russell Crowe is in certain scenes of this movie. As for the big reveal, I saw this movie in a theater when it opened, and I still remember the audience's gasp at that moment.
One of my all time favourites, one of those films I'll stop and watch no matter where it is in the film. Great performances, great script and great direction.
It's definitely not the movie to choose for acting chops, but My Stepmother is an Alien is my favourite Kim Basinger movie. It is a comedy directed by Richard Benjamin and also stars Dan Ackroyd, Alyson Hannigan, and Jon Lovitz. It's really simple and silly but good fun.
Great point that information is withheld until the right moment. This plays fair with the audience. Sometimes we are a step ahead of the characters, sometimes we realize the importance of a clue just as the characters do. This adds to the sense of the relentless pace of the movie.
Curtis Hanson was an exceptional director! He was a versatile director whose filmography was very diversified. No two films of his were the same. I would highly recommend Bad Influence, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Wonder Boys for this channel. However, I would also check out The Bedroom Window (another noir film), The River Wild, and In Her Shoes. RIP Curtis Hanson. You made your masterpiece with L.A. Confidential.
One of my all time favourites, one of those films I'll stop and watch no matter where it is in the film. Great performances all round and a great story
You should definitely check out 'Sin City' which is a neo noir film based on a graphic novel that's extremely unique in it's own way. Also, 'The Two Jakes' is a decent sequel to 'Chinatown'.
@@miketocci Yup, I know that - in fact I came here to fix it, but I'll leave it now that someone has commented. My brain does this a lot as I get older, like it has an autocorrect function that doesn't always pick the right word. And it's usually a soundalike word. Only happens when typing using muscle memory tho.
LA Confidential and Tequila Sunrise are two of my all time favorite movies. Both were made in the style of old black and white "classics" with a modern feel, if that makes sense. Lol
Love this noir, so taut and smart, haven't watched it in a long time. I did catch it at the theater way back when. Always thought it should have gotten the Best Picture Oscar, although I understand Titanic was more of a spectacle (ending sucked, both could have survived). LA Confidential easily stands the test of time. Crowe as White and Pearce as Exley are polar opposite, but both at the end show they are almost equals. I wish they made more noir like this nowadays.
This was based on the novel by James Ellroy. He's a terrific writer and at least one of his works (American Tabloid) is one of my favorite novels ever. The novel LA Confidential is really good, but is about 100X more complex, almost to the point of being confusing. If you think the movie requires a lot of work from the viewer, try reading the book. ;)
Happy to see another channel react to this. This blew me away like few films have the first time I watched this. For more Curtis Hanson I recommend Wonder Boys. Great work from Douglas, Maguire & RDJ. I believe it also won the Oscar for best original song by Bob Dylan. Gonna echo the love I'm seeing for Body Heat
"Well, here's the juice: If I take you out, there'll be ten more lawyers to take your place tomorrow. They just won't come on the bus, that's all!" The Good Cop/Bad Cop scene is my favorite.
I would recommend you watch The Getaway from 1994 with Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, but then it would be unfair to original 1972 version with Steve McQueen, which I like a tiny bit more :D
I read the novel LA Confidential many years ago. It had the same 3 cop structure as the film. What I remember most about the novel is how unlikeable I found all the characters in the book. There are 2 soundtracks for the film, one contains the film score while the other contains all the memorable period songs from the film. I would also recommend a DVD extra featuring director Curtis Hanson it is the "Photo Pitch" he used to sell his concept of the film to the studio. He used period photos mostly from the 50s to show how he envisioned the film. If you have not seen Memento I highly recommend that film. It was Christopher Nolan's breakout film as a director featuring an excellent performance by Guy Pearce. You will also appreciate the complex writing in that film.
Well edited this time! You did well in compressing everything into a video's length, getting the most important bits in without it feeling too short or rushed. Great movie too, I love it. Felt so bad about Vincennes when he died a good cop after all.
3:32 The story writing in this movie is so good. I like it very much. 7:38 Haha what was that reaction :) 19:13 The big twist and surprise. No one was expecting that. 20:50 He is the puppet master pulling the strings. 21:05 Did you get the 'hush hush' comment. :D 21:12 & 22:41 Russel Crowe before the fame after Gladiator. 22:54 I like that scene. How he's asking Exley to get Bud off him and not Bud himself. 23:00 Strange comments, usually you are against police brutality and wrong things. 23:22 And now they are both grey cops. ;) 25:44 Actually he was just going to tell the truth. :) 34:00 And the little smile. 34:49 Batman (1989) :) My Stepmother is an Alien (1988) The Getaway (1994) 35:48 Not really.
For another seminal (early) performance by Guy Pearce, please put *The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert* on your list. Also strong parts by Hugo Weaving (Elrond, Mr Smith) and Terence Stamp (Superman '78, Wall Street) and direction by Stephan Elliot (of which his subsequent film, Welcome To Woop Woop definitely deserves an honorable mention). Hope you like some ABBA, though xD IMDB Storyline: "Two drag-queens (Anthony/Mitzi and Adam/Felicia) and a transgender woman contract to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, a resort town in the remote Australian desert. They head west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla. En route, it is discovered that the woman they've contracted with is Anthony's wife. Their bus breaks down, and is repaired by Bob, who travels on with them."
Kim Basinger was the standout of this film when it came to the awards...she swept all of them, including the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson also took the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Every single young actor in their late 20s and early 30s in Hollywood auditioned for the roles of Exley and White. EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!! When Crowe and Pearce were cast, both Australian, they couldn't have been any less known. Both guys had Australian credits...and here in the States, Crowe was known for being a villain computer program let loose in the real world in 'Virtuosity' with Denzel Washington, and Pearce was known for his role as a drag queen in 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' with Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp. Suffice it say, this film was the turning point for both men. This is one of my absolute favorites!!!
Really good movie with an amazing cast. Somehow kind of forgotten as one of the late 90s masterpieces -- always try to get people to watch it, and they seldom seem interested. Also the one that really introduced Russell Crowe to me -- he steals scene after scene in this movie with his barely contained smoldering anger. You can just sense the danger in him without anything having to be said. Your reaction to Cromwell shooting Spacey out of the blue was classic.
Perfect film. Perfect script, perfect acting and perfect cinematography,. Hey, I'm not a Patreon member, but you might think about Season One of True Detective. All episodes directed by one man with the same cinematographer. May be the best writing and complex characters I have ever seen in television. It. plays like an 8 hour feature film. Why don't you put it in a Patreon poll and see what your other followers think? I"d love to watch you enjoy it.
you should check out some alfred hitchcock films if you haven't. seriously classic noir films like Shadow of a doubt or Dial M for murder. always enjoy your reactions. thanks
