Based on the James Ellroy novel of the same name, L.A. Confidential (1997) tells the story of three Los Angeles police officers (Jack Vincennes, played by Kevin Spacey; Bud White, played by Russell Crowe; Edmund Exley, played by Guy Pearce) who work to uncover the root of a corruption case that spans across Los Angeles. In the meantime, the detectives try to uncover who murdered a local celebrity - are the cases connected? Or are they separate?
When it was released, L.A. Confidential was both a critical and financial success. Michael Wilmington of The Chicago Tribune, for example, loved the film, writing that “L.A. Confidential is a movie bull's-eye: noir with an attitude, a thriller packing punches. It gives up its evil secrets with a smile.” Jay Boyar of Orlando Sentinel also loved the film, writing that the film is “Spicy and boiling-hot, this sensational early-'50s crime drama is a morality play disguised as pulp fiction -- a sprawling saga of corruption and redemption set against a flashy West Coast backdrop.” On a budget of $35 million, the film made back $126.2 million at the box office.
