Winner of two Academy Awards, and nominated for seven others, LA Confidential was the surprise thriller of 1997. Prior to American Beauty and Gladiator, Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe starred in this seedy crime and suspense film - one of the best of the decade. Set against the backdrop of 1950's Hollywood and the celebrity culture of that era (quite indistinguishable from the celebrity culture of this era), LA Confidential projects a LA police department filled with corruption and a town obsessed with acquiring fame, money, and celebrity at any cost.

When members of imprisoned mob boss Mickey Cohen's gang start showing up dead, it's up to three cops on the LA police force to get to the bottom of the mystery. Their superior, Capt. Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) convinces wiseguys from other parts of the country to go home. It seems that someone is moving in on Cohen's underworld territory, but who? The police are led to the home of wealthy developer Pierce Patchett (David Strathairn), who runs a prostitution ring of Hollywood look-alikes.

The investigative task falls to three cops, each of whom goes about his business in a different way. Deputy Lt. Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce) is a by-the-book officer, following in the footsteps of his dead father - a former cop himself who was mysteriously murdered. Officer Wendell 'Bud' White (Russell Crowe) is a vigilante agent of law enforcement who believes in personally exacting justice and punishing those who fail to subscribe to his own perceived morality. As the son of a wife-beater, White has zero tolerance for abusers of any type. And rounding out the three is Sgt. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a self-absorbed cop in search of Hollywood celebrity (he consults for TV shows on the side) and money. In the end, these three men of differing realities must come together if they hope to uncover the truth surrounding these mysterious killings.

In the meantime, the conflict between the three men and Capt. Smith heats up. Each must wage a personal battle against the fraternity culture of the police force, the bureaucratic machine, and the rampant corruption that infests every corridor of city hall. Along the way, Bud White strikes up a relationship (as does Exley) with one of the prostitutes from the investigation, Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger), which complicates the investigation and compromises his judgment. But when a break in the case takes place, Exley and White put their differences aside and work together to solve the case

With a surprise ending that's one of the best of the decade, LA Confidential is a cinematic masterpiece. Wrought with symbolism, and sporting a well-written screenplay, the film captured critical acclaim as well as box office success. Highly entertaining, and dripping with suspense, LA Confidential more than qualifies for its designation as a must-see film. If you haven't seen it, then don't wait another minute longer