I have trouble writing about great movies. If one catches my imagination, then I can lock in and unpack it.
But most of the time, I do not feel any real desire or ability to pull apart a movie’s magic.
Sometimes that is all it is - magic. The alchemy of specific creative workers at a specific point in time.
I think that is why so many of my reviews focus on films where that magic does not happen.
You can learn a lot about cinematic storytelling, particularly in the linear, narrative-based genre/Hollywood fare I gravitate towards, by watching the movies which fail to achieve their basic aims.
A lot of films may not have that unifying magic, but most have some nuggets of gold, something special that - if it does not make it worth watching, at least provides the viewer with something to take away, even if that is an unconscious lesson in the power of the medium to provoke reactions.
While reducing movies to ‘good’ and ‘bad’ is detrimental for thinking critically about the medium, it can be instructive.
After watching LA Confidential I felt elated, but completely barren:
What is there to write about an acknowledged classic which has been covered for decades?
After watching its follow-up, The Black Dahlia, I was inspired.
I will not spend this review comparing the two films. I just raise it as context - watching them so close together really gave me perspective on LA Confidential.
What sticks out most about the film is its sense of confidence and control. The way the film maintains a grip on the sprawling narrative. The film is not particularly flashy in terms of style, but it never
Pearce and Crowe are so well-cast.
Crowe is all bottled rage, plowing through the movie like a freight train.
Pearce is more ambiguous, a cool intelligence always evaluating.
Pearce’s body language is fascinating. He is always ramrod, never at ease. He is so tightly coiled, betraying the character’s deep-set insecurity.
The way the movie manages to make them compelling without sugarcoating them is one of the movie’s main strengths.
Despite its setting, LA Confidential does feel plugged into the underlying tensions of the titular city. Yes, there is Hollywood glamour, but there is also corruption and systemic racial abuse. Released five years after the LA riots, the film feels more evocative of its time - and sadly its portrayal of the police as an institution built on racism remains evergreen.
While it is dark, the movie is remarkably deft in tone - it gives weight to the stakes but manages to still feel fun.
Fundamentally LA Confidential is pulp - well-crafted and well-acted, but still pulp. And it never forgets that, while managing to be nuanced and considered in its presentation of its darker elements.
A great movie.
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