February 28th: L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (Curtis Hanson, 1997)

NOTE: This film will be shown in the high-definition Blu-ray format.



Three detectives with very different methods become unlikely partners when a murder investigation unveils a deep conspiracy.



L.A. Confidential is based on the novel by James Ellroy, one of the pre-eminent names in crime fiction since the mid-1980's. While functioning as a stand-alone story, it also makes up part of Ellroy's "L.A. Quartet" series, which charts the evolving (or devolving) post-World War II Los Angeles over a 25-year period through a number of morally and ethically ambiguous characters. Ellroy would often blend real news stories, public figures and local lore with his own literary creations.



Curtis Hanson is a writer-director who had been working in Hollywood for 20 years in various genres, with recent success with a couple thrillers (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The River Wild) securing him the job for this film. Hanson was soon approached by writer Brian Helgeland, a fellow Ellroy fan, and the two worked together in adapting the sprawling, convoluted novel, having to excise many subplots and characters in the process.



For the two main leads, Hanson and the studio took a chance on lesser-known actors from Australia, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce (who were actually born in New Zealand and England, respectively). Supporting them in the cast are veterans Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, and James Cromwell.



While attention to period detail was closely paid, Hanson chose a more modern visual stylization instead of going too self-consciously retro, preferring to keep the influence of classic film noir in the character shadings and thematics. The film was shot on location in many classic Hollywood spots that are still around; most notably the Formosa and Frolic Room bars.



The film was a modest success at the box office but triumphed with critics, and was one of only three in history to receive Best Film Honors from the four most prestigious bodies: the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics, the National Society of Film Critics, and the National Board of Review. While nominated for nine Academy Awards, up against the Titanic juggernaut it only managed to win two: for Hanson and Helgeland's screenplay, and for Kim Basinger's performance.



Running time is approx. 2 hrs, 10 min.