Curtis Hanson's searing neo-noir tackles police corruption, the dark underbelly of Classic Hollywood, and the fight for the soul of the City of Angels alongside star-making performances from a stellar ensemble cast.
Curtis Hanson’s masterful adaptation of the novel by James Ellroy brings the sleazy underbelly of 1950s Los Angeles with sizzle and punch. Following a bloody mass murder, three detectives in the corrupt L.A. police force find themselves drawn into a web of scandal and violence. Jack Vincennes makes money on the side by setting up celebrity arrests in a kickback scheme for a gossip magazine while Bud White will break any rule to bring criminals to justice. And Ed Exley will do anything to get ahead as long as it’s by the book. Hanson orchestrates this taut, multi-strand storyline as a thing of hard-boiled beauty. [138 min; crime, drama, noir; English]
"Seductive and beautiful, cynical and twisted, and one of the best films of the year." — Robert Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"This movie restores genre elements to a level of potency that's disturbing, satisfying, and rare as hell." — Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
"An irresistible treat with enough narrative twists and memorable characters for a half-dozen films." — Todd McCarthy, Variety
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