LA Confidential (1997)

One of the greatest achievements of this sensational modern noir was to take James Elroy's labyrinthine, decade-spanning novel and pare it down to a manageable screenplay. What we are left with is a gripping tale of corrupt and incorruptible LA cops, drugs, exotic call-girls, sleazy tabloid hacks, hoodlums and murder.
Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) is a young police officer, the son of a celebrated LA officer, out to make a name for himself and carve out his own career. Another officer, Bud White (Russell Crowe) spends his time meting out summary justice to wife-beaters, having watched helplessly as his mother suffered at the hands of his cruel father. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is supposed to work in vice, but has two lucrative sidelines - technical advisor to TV series "Badge of Honor" and a cash-in-hand deal with tabloid hack Sid Hudgens (Danny Devito) where he sets up celebrities to get busted on drug-possession charges, Hudgens grabbing the exclusive photos while Vincennes carts them off for charging and booking.
A late night bust up at the police station where a couple of men arrested for attacking police officers are set upon by half of the station results in Bud White's partner, Dick Stensland, being forced into early retirement. Exley testifies against Stensland in return for cynical career progression, but that night, Stensland gets caught up in a shooting at the Midnight Owl coffee shop, where he and several other customers lose their lives.
What follows defies concise explanation, but it involves cosmetically altered call girls, organised crime, the police and control of the LA drug trade. Trying to follow who is connected to who and how is just one of the many pleasures of this rich, detailed, engrossing film.
Directed by Curtis Hanson from Brian Helgeland's screenplay (and neither of them have come anywhere close to being this good before or since) and cruelly beaten to a whole raft of Oscars by the more Academy-friendly Titanic, the film is a triumph in every conceivable way. The story is involved and requires concentration throughout, but it is not incomprehensible. Revelations and surprises abound and each of the main characters have their moment to shine. Spacey, Crowe, Devito and Pearce are all perfectly cast, embodying all of the nuances and flaws of their characters with effortless precision. The atmosphere, feel and set design are immaculate, perfectly encapsulating the 1950's era with suits, cars and locations all spot on.
There have been very few decent films in this genre since its heyday in the 40's and 50's and it is difficult to think of one of anywhere near this quality since Chinatown. You can get a two-disc Special Edition now with the usual plethora of making-of's, commentaries and even the pilot episode of the spin-off TV series. Sadly the critical acclaim garnered by the film did not lead to a revival of quality private-eye, femme fatale genre films, but LA Confidential remains a towering achievement in cinema and one of the finest of its or any other type. See it as soon as you can.