L.A.'s best on silver screen

Earlier this year, the LOS ANGELES TIMES selected the BEST 25 FILMS ABOUT THE CITY IN THE PAST 25 YEARS.
I watched the No. 1 film on that list, Curtis Hanson's "L.A. CONFIDENTIAL," today during a rare Monday off work.
The Times singled out Kim Basinger's character in citing the film as the best to capture the essence of the City of Angels:
"She is as fitting a metaphor for the city as anything ever hatched by Hollywood: Kim Basinger’s high-class call girl Lynn Bracken in the neo-noir potboiler 'L.A. Confidential.' Tragic yet glamorous, she’s a cipher for intense desire and empty idol worship."
Hanson himself described Basinger's Lynn as "a natural beauty with a phony image," apt as a description of the city itself.
Watching the film today, I was reminded about the greatness of the cast, and laughing at the notion that principals Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce were considered "unknowns" in America at the time -- 1997.
Hanson's direction is also marvelous.
The Times' list (you can find it here), includes a number of films that represent L.A. in all its (sometimes sordid) glory, including "Boyz N The Hood," "The Player," the hilarious "Swingers" and my own personal Southland favorite, "Repo Man."
After watching "L.A. Confidential" today, it is hard to argue with its place on top of the L.A. heap.