Ìý User Rating 
Before his swoon-inducing role in "Gladiator", before the relationship with Meg, Russell Crowe came to attention in this finely-crafted, uniformly excellent ensemble piece based on James Ellroy's deliciously dark novel.
It's 1950s LA and amid the debauchery, corruption, and showbiz of Tinseltown, the customers and staff of a seedy all-night diner are murdered in an apparently unexceptional gangster-style shoot-out. Three officers set about investigating the incident under the steely watchfulness of their captain, Dudley Smith (James Cromwell). Bud White (Russell Crowe) is willing to bend the rules to pursue his personal vendetta against men who abuse women. Ed Exley (Guy Pierce) is a shrewish careerist, determined to get ahead at any cost. And Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) a limelight-loving spiv who is more interested in making a fast buck and the cover of sleaze mag "Hush-Hush" than upholding the law.
Despite their vested interests, the three are unwillingly drawn together into a conspiracy involving police corruption, Hollywood immorality, the mob, and prostitution.
Director Curtis Hanson's elegant film is faithful to Ellroy's multi-layered and labyrinthine book, requiring some concentration to keep up with the subtle plot twists and coded dialogue. Every performance is a gem, from Spacey's arch louche to Kim Basinger's soulful but sassy turn as a call-girl who looks like Veronica Lake. Such themes of police autonomy and the cult of celebrity have never been more relevant in today's troubled times.
