HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT: L.A. Confidential

This week's chosen film for Hit me with your best shot took us back to the 90s to revisit one of the best neo-noirs "L.A. Confidential". This tale of corruption and murder was a hit with the critics and duly received some awards attention for the 1997 film year. I certainly count myself as one of its fans, as it always manages to reel me in even though I know how the plot plays out. The film is truly a complete package with stellar acting, directing, writing, editing and sound.

On this viewing, I found myself particularly drawn to the characters and how they are written. I always have and always will be fascinated by Guy Pearce here, but this time around I was especially intrigued by the brawny machismo of Russell Crowe as Officer Bud White.

To explain, I found myself mentally comparing the style of this film to HBO's recent craze "True Detective". During its run we became accustomed to the brooding, atmospheric qualities of that miniseries. The more pulpy violence depicted here is obviously a major departure and right in the thick of it is Crowe himself. His character is a live wire, always ready to brawl when necessary. He's unafraid to use force to solve a case and as the viewer, I found it very entertaining. Hence, my favourite shot comes from a scene that depicts this character's skills in targeted aggression.

Click below for my favourite shot...

This shot is taken from the awesome shootout at the end of the film. Bud and Exley (Guy Pearce) are outnumbered, with the odds seemingly stacked against them. Their backs are against the wall, but in the middle of this comes a blink-and-you-miss-it "hurrah" moment. Out of nowhere, Bud pops up and smokes a guy! He's clearly not going to be taken out so easily. Much like the film itself, this action is in your face but it's oh so slick. Really, I don't have much more intellectual analysis to give, other than to say I found it pretty darn cool.