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movie review - L.A. Confidential

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

This is a movie about the eternally crooked police department of Los Angeles. This piece is set in the 1950s and pits the ambitions and wills of two wildly different men against the rest of the force. It's done in something of a noir style, with a gritty vibe set mostly at night and a non-stop raising of the stakes that spares no-one. I particularly enjoyed the way the ruthless villain manages to divide his opponents and eliminate anyone who could compromise him. There's no wickedness, no relishing the brutality, it's just business as usual when the police are the organized crime syndicate. Everyone in this thing was on point throughout, and the pressure is so great it makes diamonds of those who survive.

Strongly recommended.