L.A. Noire 1.10 - The Fallen Idol - Part II

L.A. Noire - The Fallen Idol - Part II

Genre: Crime

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Writer: John Malone

Based on the video game

Cast: Joe Alwyn, Eric Ladin, Bill Burr, Daniel Webber, Cole Hauser, Frederick Weller, Carrie-Anne Moss, John Hannah, Vincent Piazza, Matthew Daddario, Diane Kruger and John Ventimiglia

Plot: 1947 - Gangster Mickey Cohen (Vincent Piazza) is sitting at his usual prime table at the Mocambo night club with his right-hand man Johnny Stompanato (Matthew Daddario) when Courtney Sheldon (Daniel Webber) enters the club and is escorted to Cohen's table by the maitre d. Stompanato tells Sheldon to sit down and introduces him to the infamous Mickey Cohen. Cohen asks if Sheldon wants to be a doctor or a dope peddler, commenting that it's an interesting combination. Sheldon asks if there is a problem, and Cohen says there might just be. Cohen says that selling dope to his boy Lenny might have looked like a good move, but the junkies in this town aren't used to strong stuff. Sheldon asks why that's his problem. Cohen tells him that the only way their arrangement is going to work is to do some repackaging so that they can water it down a bit so they don't kill too many of their customers. Sheldon tells Cohen that he can't just water down dope, it doesn't work chemically. Cohen then offers to buy out Sheldon's supply for $50,000. Sheldon then gets up from the table and walks out of the club. Cohen picks up a phone tells the person on the other line that he thinks he wants Courtney Sheldon dead.

Cole Phelps (Joe Alwyn) and Stefan Bekowsky (Eric Ladin) are about to arrest Marlon Hopgood (John Ventimiglia) at the Silver Screen Prop Store and take him into the station when Detective Roy Earle (Cole Hauser) arrives and tells them that clearly the it is a Vice case, not a traffic case. Earle says that Hopgood is an informant for the Vice squad. Phelps is shocked that Hopgood is a Vice informant and asks if Earle expects them to just drop all the charges they have against Hopgood. Earle says yes, they should leave Hopgood alone if they know what's good for them. Earle says that from what he hears, Phelps and Bekowsky should be off trying to find a scumbag movie producer before a certain Las Vegas gangster gets to him. Phelps tells Earle that he will be making a full report to the Captain when about this when he gets back to the station. Earle laughs, and tells Phelps that everyone is very impressed with him. Phelps takes a step toward Earle, but Bekowsky pulls him away, saying they have other things they should be doing right now.

When Phelps and Bekowsky make their way outside, they find a couple of Guy McAfee's thugs waiting outside the prop shop. They urge the detectives to tell them if they find Mark Bishop as Mr. McAfee can be a very generous man. Phelps gets in their faces and tells them that it is a police matter and that they need to stay out of it. Bekowsky tells the thugs that the only reason they aren't already behind bars is because they are small fry, and tells them to stay away from Bishop and stay away from them. The thugs then get back into their car and drive away. With that out of the way, Phelps and Bekowsky drive to the old film set to DW Griffith's Intolerance that Hopgood told them Bishop might be hiding out at.

They arrive at the giant abandoned set from the film Intolerance, which is a large reconstruction of ancient Babylon. Bekowsky comments that of course Bishop has to be hiding at the biggest damn set in town. As they look around, they see Mark Bishop (John Hannah). When Bishop sees them he takes off into the confines of the massive open air set. Phelps starts chasing after him. Bekowsky says he'll call it in. Phelps chases Bishop all the way to the top of the giant ancient wooden wall built for the set until he finally has Bishop pinned at a dead end. From the top of the set, Phelps and Bishop see that Guy AcAfee's men have arrived as well. Phelps tells Bishop to stay close to him and stay low. Phelps sees Bekowsky pinned down behind their police cruiser and comments to Bishop that backup should be on their way soon. Police sirens can be heard in the distance, so Phelps and Bishop take cover behind a statue. As the police cars screech to a stop in front of the set, McAfee's men flee the scene.

Phelps and Bekowsky load Bishop into a paddy wagon. Captain Gordon Leary (Bill Burr) arrives on the scene and tells Phelps that because he's already developed such a reputation around the station that Phelps is getting a promotion. Phelps shakes hands with Bekowsky and Leary and they congratulate him. Roy Earle pulls up in his car at the crime scene and announces that he's there to buy Phelps and Bekowsky a drink. Earle takes them to The Blue Room Jazz Club. Earle tells them they'll love it since a lot of movie people hang out there. When they walk in, the doorman knows Earle by name and asks if they want a table. Earle asks if Elsa is scheduled to sing, and he is told that she is up next. Earle tells Phelps that he'll take him to meet Elsa while they are getting a table ready. The doorman tells Earle that another night might be better since Elsa is beat up about something, but Earle snaps at the doorman, saying that nobody tells him what to do.

Elsa Lichtmann (Diane Kruger) is in her dressing room crying and talking with Dr. Harlan Fontaine (Frederick Weller). She is upset about the death of her best friend Lou Buchwalter. Earle suddenly enters the room with Phelps. He announces that he would like to introduce her to Cole Phelps, war hero and crime fighter. Elsa asks why she would ever want to meet another fascist from the LAPD. Earle slaps Elsa, calling her a German junkie whore. Fontaine goes over to Elsa and gives her an injection into her arm. Earle leads Phelps out of the dressing room, saying they probably both need a drink.

It's easy to see why John Malone won five Golden Reels for Best Adaptation when you're watching L.A. Noire. The series is elevated by Malone's script in another stellar adaptation.

Some investigations aren't as good as the others, but no one can deny that L.A. Noire is entertaining and interesting. It offers everything you want from a classic crime series, but better.

L.A. Noire is a series that strongly benefits from its period setting, with impressive work by executive producer Gavin O'Connor to recreate the 1960's Los Angeles with an impressive production design.

Have Gun - Will Travel 1.10 - End of the Road

Have Gun - Will Travel : End of the Road

Genre: Western

Director: Frank Darabont

Writer: Dwight Gallo

Based on the television series

Cast: Walton Goggins, Benedict Wong, Adrianne Palicki, Ben Cross, Luke Kirby, David Caruso and Neal McDonough

Plot: 1849. Before Paul Pilate (David Caruso) and the younger Paladin (Walton Goggins) have their duel, Pilate offers Paladin one last chance to reconsider. After all, Pilate's issue is with Paladin's employer, Norte, not with Paladin. Pilate goes on, saying that if he had to guess, Paladin has run into trouble with Norte as well. Paladin is surprised that Pilate knows about that and sits down on a rock. Paladin says that he lost a lot of money gambling with Norte and was offered the chance to repay his debt by killing Pilate. Pilate suggests that perhaps they can work together to fight back against Norte rather than kill each other. Paladin asks what Pilate suggests.

1865. Paladin is laying in a pool of his own blood. Chan (Benedict Wong) orders Helena Pervis (Adrianne Palicki) over to apply pressure to the bullet wound to help stop the bleeding. Chan goes behind the front counter of the Hotel Charlemagne and grabs a shotgun. He loads the gun and defends the front door of the establishment. Frank Pervis (Luke Kirby) enters the Charlemagne and Chan tells him to freeze. Frank insists that he didn't shoot Paladin and hands over his gun to Chan, who orders Frank to sit on the floor of the dining room. Charlemagne (Ben Cross) comes out of his office with his gun and watches the front door. He is furious that someone would violate the rules of the hotel. He asks Chan if he knows who is behind such an act, and Chan motions over to Frank Pervis.

1849. Paladin rides into Delta Valley with a wagon behind his horse. On the wagon is a coffin. Norte (Neal McDonough) comes out of his office and is pleased to see that Paladin appears to have killed Pilate, but says that the coffin was unecessary, since a lowlife like Pilate doesn't deserve a proper burial. Norte offers Paladin a drink to celebrate the elimination of not only Paladin's gambling debts, but also of a scumbag like Pilate.

Over drinks Paladin asks Norte what Pilate did that was so bad that he should be killed. Norte says that Pilate is two-faced and simply deserved it. Norte asks Paladin if he had the chance to speak to Pilate before he killed him, but Paladin says he simply verified his identity and then gunned Pilate down.

1865. Charlemagne has Frank Pervis tied to a chair in the dining room of the hotel. He demands to know his involvement in the shooting of Paladin. Frank says he was hired by Paul Pilate to help arrange the attack, but that he didn't pull the trigger. Charlemagne scoffs at Frank's rationalization, saying that just because he didn't pull the trigger doesn't mean he didn't sign Paladin's death warrant.

1849. Norte has Paladin take the coffin to the local graveyard to be buried. Once they stop, Norte says he'd like to take a look in the coffin. Norte opens it and Pilate shoots him in the shoulder. Norte is quick to his gun and manages to shoot Pilate in return. The two continue to fire upon each other, until Pilate finally hits Norte in the head with a bullet. Pilate, despite coming out victorious, is riddled with bullets. He asks Paladin for help, but Paladin, believing Pilate is near death, simply rides away.

1865. Paladin is in his bed recovering from his gun shot wound. Chan brings him some tea and a newspaper in bed, and Paladin thanks him. Chan mentions that Pilate was spotted at a saloon down the road before leaving the room. Paladin struggles out of bed and gets dressed. Paladin limps down the street and into the saloon where he sees Pilate drinking at the bar. Paladin shoots Pilate in the back. Paladin says that it may not have been the most polite way to get back at Pilate, but that it seemed oddly fitting. Chan arrives at the saloon not too long after and drags Pilate's body off down the street. Chan dumps Pilate's body in a pig pen, and the pigs quickly begin devouring Pilate's corpse. 

Walton Goggins is mesmerizing as Paladin, a role he seemed born to play, chewing every scene with charisma and panache like only he can.

A throwback to old times when westerns were the norm, Have Gun - Will Travel is a great western fans of the genre will appreciate and will certainly appeal to a wide array of people thanks to its strong writing and direction.

I was never a fan of Frank Darabont and I'm not sure this setting fits its style well and I'm left wondering if another executive producer might have been a better option. The series is still a breeze to go through and I enjoyed it for the most part, but there were some lows around midseason.