L.A. Confidential is a great crime movie that always keeps you guessing. The film moves along at a brisk pace as both the plot and the characters reveal themselves. The cast of talented actors is one of the best assembled, and Hanson made a great choice picking relatively unknown Australian actors for two of the leads, making the film less predictable than if movie stars had been selected. The cinematography and production design captured the time without feeling dated.
The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won two: Kim Basinger for Best Supporting Actress and Hanson and Brian Helgeland for Best Adapted Screenplay. It likely would have awarded Best Picture had it not been for the amazing technical feats achieved in James Cameron’s Titanic.
This new special edition is definitely special with over three and a half hours of bonus footage. Revealing how much the project meant to those involved, the commentary track features quite a line-up: costume designer Ruth Myers, production designer Jeannine Oppewell, director of photography Dante Spinotti, author Ellroy, co-writer/co-producer Helgeland, and actors Crowe, Spacey, Pearce, Cromwell, Strathairn, Basinger, and DeVito.
An extra treat for serious cinephiles is a 5.1 music-only track featuring Jerry Goldsmith’s score. It is great to watch the impact that music can have on a scene, but there are too many empty spaces. There’s no way to fast-forward and know when to stop for the music cue.
A second disc provides detailed information on the film’s creation in a number of newly created special features. In “Whatever You Desire: Making L.A. Confidential” Hanson makes up for not taking part in the commentary track. He talks about wanting to create the city of his youth and many of the other principles offer their thoughts on the project. “Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of L.A. Confidential” has Hanson and Spinotti talk about the cinematography and giving the film a modern look. The actors take part in a mutual admiration society during “A True Ensemble: The Cast of L.A. Confidential” as they talk about the pleasure they had working with each other. The screenwriters and producers talk about the early stages of the movie in “L.A. Confidential: From Book to Screen.”
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