…meet Bud White and Lynn Bracken of L.A. Confidential, the first couple I totally ‘shipped’ back when this movie first came out. I used to have the DVD and it came with a version where it only played the music of the period throughout the whole movie. It was amazing and I have no idea where my DVD is anymore because I would totally play it constantly.
If you’ve never seen L.A. Confidential, watch it. Based on James Elroy’s novel and one the author admits is the best adaptation of his book, it’s one of the best films out there hands down, and you get to see a very young Russell Crowe and a totally gorgeous Kim Basinger as a Veronica Lake lookalike hooker. There are also Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito and a very young Mentalist, Simon (oy vey, I can’t remember his last name at the moment). It’s an amazing ensemble and when someone mentioned that today was #internationalkissingday and what was my favorite onscreen kiss, Budd and Lynn’s is the only one that came to me.
But it’s not just the kiss. It’s everything about the scene although the only one I found on Youtube isn’t that great when it comes to quality. But you can see how the writing and the direction were topnotch. The scene itself tells a story – who Lynn really is behind the Veronica Lake lookalike image, and there’s the look of utter longing on Bud’s face to have her. He’s only been keeping an eye on her for days or maybe weeks, watching her entertain other men through her bungalow window. There’s another bedroom for business but when he finally knocks on her door, she takes him to “her” real bedroom, Lynn’s bedroom. And without saying a word, the viewer sees who she is.
I actually learned how to write better because of this movie, seeing how everything is set up and how everything goes down. With so many characters, you root for some and you hate others. Most of all, you root for Bud and Lynn to have their happily ever after. Will they?
Anyway, I should shut up because I am totally about to gush over this movie. So here’s the kiss:
Liz Durano 