The Popcorn Critic-L.A. Confidential

Large Popcorn

I'm usually not a fan of cop stories, but I'll make an exception for this movie. This is one of the best stories I've seen in a movie. Not because it was completely unpredictable or because of some strange plot twist, but because it has so many different stories intertwined with each other. These stories are wrapped so tight it's hard to remember which story goes with which character. And figuring that out makes the movie great. At times I found myself so involved with one individual story, that I didn't realize the effect it had on the story as a whole. That story is about a group of L.A. detectives caught up in the crooked part of the law. Each participates for his own reasons, but they all do it. That is until Lt. Ed Exely, played by Guy Pearce, joins the precinct. Lt. Exely is a straight arrow who doesn't believe in using brutality to solve a case. But in this precinct, led by Captain Dudley Smith, played by James Cromwell, that's how they get the job done. And when a case invloving ex-cops becomes priority, Lt. Exley is put to the test. This is not easy when his enemy is officer Bud White, played terrifically by Russell Crowe, and the closest thing he has to a partner is Jack Vincennes, played by one of my favorite actors Kevin Spacey. There is so much more to this movie, but you must see it for yourself to appreciate it. This includes absolutely great performances by Danny DeVito,Kim Basinger, and David Strathairn as Pierce Patchett. Somebody in this cast should see their name when it Oscar time comes around.

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