Based on the scabrous novel by James Ellroy, the “Demon Dog of American crime fiction”, this is a quite brilliant adaptation that manages to convey much of the book’s complex characterisation and relentless narrative drive.
After a massacre in a Los Angeles diner, three detectives use their own very different methods to unravel a plot that involves corruption, organised crime, narcotics, prostitution, plastic surgery, Hollywood and, of course, cold-blooded murder.
The photography of cinematographer Dante Spinotti evokes a strong sense of place and time, and with powerful, elemental performances from Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe, you have a modern film noir that can more than hold its own against the classics of the genre.