L.A. Noire - The Red Lipstick Murder
Genre: Crime
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Writer: John Malone
Based on the video game
Cast: Joe Alwyn, Brent Sexton, Katie Findlay, Brian F. O'Byrne, Jordan Gelber, Frederick Weller, Chris Zylka, Diane Kruger, Josh Charles, Victor Rasuk, French Stewart and Jo Lo Truglio
Plot: 1947 - Cole Phelps (Joe Alwyn) sits in his kitchen eating breakfast with
his wife Marie (Katie Findlay). He tells her that he's excited about
his first day in the homicide department. Marie becomes frustrated and
asks if he's ever planning on talking about anything other than work.
Phelps looks at his watch and hurries out of this seat. He tells Marie
that he doesn't have time for such a discussion and jogs out to his car.
On his way into the precinct, Phelps bumps into Floyd Rose (Josh
Charles), who is carrying a box of belongings out of the building. Rose
shoves Phelps and tells him to get out of his way. Running late, Phelps
moves along without engaging with Rose. When Phelps enters the briefing
room, Captain James Donnelly (Brian F. O'Byrne) is getting ready to
address the homicide squad. Donnelly announces that Floyd Rose, formerly
of the homicide department, has decided to take early retirement.
Donnelly then introduces his replacement, Phelps, to the rest of the
squad. He tells Phelps that Det. Rusty Galloway (Brent Sexton) will be
taking him under his wing as his new partner. Donnelly says that their
first case together will be the murder of a woman found in the middle
of the night, bearing all the signs of "The Werewolf". Donnelly then
hurries them out of the briefing room, telling them to go solve a murder
- it is their job after all.
While Galloway and Phelps are driving to the crime scene, Phelps asks what Donnelly meant by "The Werewolf". Galloway explains that The Werewolf is another name for the Black Dahlia killer. Galloway says he doesn't think that high profile case will have anything to do with their case today though since 90% of all murders are domestic. They pull up to the crime scene, a lover's lane overlooking the Westlake neighborhood. County Coroner and medical examiner Malcolm Carruthers (Jordan Gelber) is already on the scene collecting evidence. Phelps is shocked when he sees the victim's body. The dead woman is nude and covered in slash marks. Her face has been smashed in with some sort of blunt instrument. There are various initials written on the body in red lipstick. There are also footprints around the body, which Carruthers says are size 8 shoes. Carruthers tells Phelps and Galloway that they will obviously know more once he has a chance to get the body down to the morgue for an autopsy. They find the woman's identification in a purse nearby: Celine Henry. Also near the body Phelps notices a table lighter from The Bamba Club. Carruthers points out to the detective that Celine had something ripped off of her middle finger post mortem, most likely a ring. Phelps suggests that while Carruthers is getting the autopsy underway they could head over to the club to see what they can turn up.
Phelps and Galloway head over to the Bamba Club and are shown to the club's owner, Dick McColl (French Stewart). Galloway goes to the bar to get a drink and tells Phelps to go ahead and interview McColl himself. Phelps informs McColl that Celine was murdered and asks if he knew her. McColl is taken aback by the news. He tells Phelps that he, Celine and her husband Jacob all go way back. Phelps asks if she was at the club the previous night, and McColl confirms that she was there and that she left with a man he doesn't know. Phelps is frustrated until McColl tells him that he took down the guy's license plate number since he was worried by Celine leaving with some strange guy. Phelps then asks McColl if he knows anything about a ring Celine may have been wearing on her middle finger. McColl tells the detective that he had purchased a large red garnet ring for Celine many years ago back when they were an item. Phelps asks McColl if he thinks that Celine's husband could have been involved in her death. McColl says that he doesn't think so. McColl tells Phelps that he even tried to call Jacob to pick Celine up before she left with the stranger, but Jacob didn't answer. Before they leave the club, Phelps uses a payphone to call in the license plate to get a name and address on the driver.
Phelps and Galloway decide to go see the husband, Jacob Henry. On the drive, Phelps chastises Galloway for drinking on the job. Galloway jokes that Phelps is in the wrong line of work if a healthy thirst offends him. When they arrive at the house nobody answers the front door, so Galloway decides to go around to the back door. When he gets to the back of the house he sees a back window broken and open. Galloway kicks in the back door with his gun drawn. He carefully walks to the front of the house and lets Phelps in.
Ira Hogeboom (Chris Zylka) calls Dr. Harlan Fontaine (Frederick Weller) from a payphone in a panic. Fontaine tells Hogeboom that fires he sets are cathartic for him and will allow Hogeboom to confront his past. Hogeboom comments that Fontaine assured him the house would be empty. Fontaine asks Hogeboom if he's taking the medication he prescribed him. Hogeboom says that he heard people inside the house screaming when he set fire to it. Fontaine says that was simply an unfortunate miscommunication and that his colleagues had made all the necessary arrangements. He tells Hogeboom that the deaths were unfortunate, but that Hogeboom has dealt with plenty of death before. Fontaine implores Hogeboom to come and see him at the clinic. Hogeboom yells that again that Fontaine said the house would be empty, before hanging the phone up with a slam. Hogeboom begins kicking and punching the payphone until his hands are bloody and the phone is destroyed.
Phelps and Galloway search the house for clues, but don't find much of any interest until they find a note on the refrigerator for Celine from Jacob giving her an address to find him at if she ever sobers up. Phelps comments that marital troubles could be a motive for the murder, but Galloway says that in this case the crime scene evidence weighs against it being the husband but that Jacob might be able to give them something to go on. Phelps and Galloway drive to the address listed on the fridge. They knock on the door and tell Jacob that they would like to take him to the precinct for questioning in the homicide of his wife Celine. Jacob begins crying, assuring them he had no clue his wife was dead and that he was hoping she would show up any time all sobered up. Galloway orders Jacob to have a seat and tells Phelps to have a look around. While Phelps looks around the apartment, Jacob tearfully tells Galloway that he wishes he would have gone to pick up Celine when McColl called him last night. Phelps calls in a patrol unit to pick up Jacob and asks about the license plate he called in earlier. Dispatch tells him that the DMV says the vehicle is registered to a man named Alonzo Mendez and gives Phelps the address. The patrol unit picks up Jacob, and Galloway and Phelps follow the car back to the precinct. At the station, Donnelly says he thinks that Jacob might just confess with the right nudging, but Phelps says that he doesn't think Jacob is the killer. Donnelly wants him to go into the interrogation room with Jacob anyways to see if he gives anything up. Jacob insists that he loved his wife and wanted to take care of her, even if she wasn't always on the same page with him in that regard. Phelps gets up and leaves the interrogation room. He once again tells Donnelly that he doesn't think Jacob is their guy, but that there is one more lead: Mendez, the guy who left the bar with Celine. Donnelly is irritated, and tells Phelps that Mendez better be the killer.
Phelps and Galloway drive to the address of Alonzo Mendez. They enter the apartment building. They open the apartment door, but don't see Mendez. Phelps takes a look at a shoe on the floor - size 8. Under the bed they find a box containing a red lipstick and a bloodstained socket wrench - which could be the blunt murder weapon. Phelps says they need to call it in immediately. Suddenly Alonzo Mendez (Victor Rasuk) enters the apartment and demands to know who the men inside are. Phelps and Galloway tell Mendez that he's under arrest. Mendez runs out the door and down the apartment's stairwell. Galloway tells Phelps to stick with Mendez while he goes and gets the car. Phelps chases Mendez out into the street, when suddenly Mendez is hit by a car - driven by Galloway. Mendez is knocked out cold by impact as his face shatters the car's windshield.
Captain Donnelly meets Phelps and Galloway at Mendez's apartment. He commends them on a job well done, and comments that a crime as brutal as Mendez's is most deserving of the electric chair.
Phelps goes to The Blue Room Jazz Club where he has a drink and watches Elsa Lichtmann (Diane Kruger) perform. The other patrons dance and talk among themselves, but Phelps' eyes are glued on Elsa. She catches his gaze and begins singing the song directly to him.
While Galloway and Phelps are driving to the crime scene, Phelps asks what Donnelly meant by "The Werewolf". Galloway explains that The Werewolf is another name for the Black Dahlia killer. Galloway says he doesn't think that high profile case will have anything to do with their case today though since 90% of all murders are domestic. They pull up to the crime scene, a lover's lane overlooking the Westlake neighborhood. County Coroner and medical examiner Malcolm Carruthers (Jordan Gelber) is already on the scene collecting evidence. Phelps is shocked when he sees the victim's body. The dead woman is nude and covered in slash marks. Her face has been smashed in with some sort of blunt instrument. There are various initials written on the body in red lipstick. There are also footprints around the body, which Carruthers says are size 8 shoes. Carruthers tells Phelps and Galloway that they will obviously know more once he has a chance to get the body down to the morgue for an autopsy. They find the woman's identification in a purse nearby: Celine Henry. Also near the body Phelps notices a table lighter from The Bamba Club. Carruthers points out to the detective that Celine had something ripped off of her middle finger post mortem, most likely a ring. Phelps suggests that while Carruthers is getting the autopsy underway they could head over to the club to see what they can turn up.
Phelps and Galloway head over to the Bamba Club and are shown to the club's owner, Dick McColl (French Stewart). Galloway goes to the bar to get a drink and tells Phelps to go ahead and interview McColl himself. Phelps informs McColl that Celine was murdered and asks if he knew her. McColl is taken aback by the news. He tells Phelps that he, Celine and her husband Jacob all go way back. Phelps asks if she was at the club the previous night, and McColl confirms that she was there and that she left with a man he doesn't know. Phelps is frustrated until McColl tells him that he took down the guy's license plate number since he was worried by Celine leaving with some strange guy. Phelps then asks McColl if he knows anything about a ring Celine may have been wearing on her middle finger. McColl tells the detective that he had purchased a large red garnet ring for Celine many years ago back when they were an item. Phelps asks McColl if he thinks that Celine's husband could have been involved in her death. McColl says that he doesn't think so. McColl tells Phelps that he even tried to call Jacob to pick Celine up before she left with the stranger, but Jacob didn't answer. Before they leave the club, Phelps uses a payphone to call in the license plate to get a name and address on the driver.
Phelps and Galloway decide to go see the husband, Jacob Henry. On the drive, Phelps chastises Galloway for drinking on the job. Galloway jokes that Phelps is in the wrong line of work if a healthy thirst offends him. When they arrive at the house nobody answers the front door, so Galloway decides to go around to the back door. When he gets to the back of the house he sees a back window broken and open. Galloway kicks in the back door with his gun drawn. He carefully walks to the front of the house and lets Phelps in.
Ira Hogeboom (Chris Zylka) calls Dr. Harlan Fontaine (Frederick Weller) from a payphone in a panic. Fontaine tells Hogeboom that fires he sets are cathartic for him and will allow Hogeboom to confront his past. Hogeboom comments that Fontaine assured him the house would be empty. Fontaine asks Hogeboom if he's taking the medication he prescribed him. Hogeboom says that he heard people inside the house screaming when he set fire to it. Fontaine says that was simply an unfortunate miscommunication and that his colleagues had made all the necessary arrangements. He tells Hogeboom that the deaths were unfortunate, but that Hogeboom has dealt with plenty of death before. Fontaine implores Hogeboom to come and see him at the clinic. Hogeboom yells that again that Fontaine said the house would be empty, before hanging the phone up with a slam. Hogeboom begins kicking and punching the payphone until his hands are bloody and the phone is destroyed.
Phelps and Galloway search the house for clues, but don't find much of any interest until they find a note on the refrigerator for Celine from Jacob giving her an address to find him at if she ever sobers up. Phelps comments that marital troubles could be a motive for the murder, but Galloway says that in this case the crime scene evidence weighs against it being the husband but that Jacob might be able to give them something to go on. Phelps and Galloway drive to the address listed on the fridge. They knock on the door and tell Jacob that they would like to take him to the precinct for questioning in the homicide of his wife Celine. Jacob begins crying, assuring them he had no clue his wife was dead and that he was hoping she would show up any time all sobered up. Galloway orders Jacob to have a seat and tells Phelps to have a look around. While Phelps looks around the apartment, Jacob tearfully tells Galloway that he wishes he would have gone to pick up Celine when McColl called him last night. Phelps calls in a patrol unit to pick up Jacob and asks about the license plate he called in earlier. Dispatch tells him that the DMV says the vehicle is registered to a man named Alonzo Mendez and gives Phelps the address. The patrol unit picks up Jacob, and Galloway and Phelps follow the car back to the precinct. At the station, Donnelly says he thinks that Jacob might just confess with the right nudging, but Phelps says that he doesn't think Jacob is the killer. Donnelly wants him to go into the interrogation room with Jacob anyways to see if he gives anything up. Jacob insists that he loved his wife and wanted to take care of her, even if she wasn't always on the same page with him in that regard. Phelps gets up and leaves the interrogation room. He once again tells Donnelly that he doesn't think Jacob is their guy, but that there is one more lead: Mendez, the guy who left the bar with Celine. Donnelly is irritated, and tells Phelps that Mendez better be the killer.
Phelps and Galloway drive to the address of Alonzo Mendez. They enter the apartment building. They open the apartment door, but don't see Mendez. Phelps takes a look at a shoe on the floor - size 8. Under the bed they find a box containing a red lipstick and a bloodstained socket wrench - which could be the blunt murder weapon. Phelps says they need to call it in immediately. Suddenly Alonzo Mendez (Victor Rasuk) enters the apartment and demands to know who the men inside are. Phelps and Galloway tell Mendez that he's under arrest. Mendez runs out the door and down the apartment's stairwell. Galloway tells Phelps to stick with Mendez while he goes and gets the car. Phelps chases Mendez out into the street, when suddenly Mendez is hit by a car - driven by Galloway. Mendez is knocked out cold by impact as his face shatters the car's windshield.
Captain Donnelly meets Phelps and Galloway at Mendez's apartment. He commends them on a job well done, and comments that a crime as brutal as Mendez's is most deserving of the electric chair.
Phelps goes to The Blue Room Jazz Club where he has a drink and watches Elsa Lichtmann (Diane Kruger) perform. The other patrons dance and talk among themselves, but Phelps' eyes are glued on Elsa. She catches his gaze and begins singing the song directly to him.
Joe Alwyn's lead performance, as Det. Cole Phelps is perhaps the role of his career. He's able to command the series and do some heavy lifting when some side characters aren't really interesting and that's a testament to his good work.
While L.A. Noire is a series that has its ups and downs with the investigations, but no one can deny that this season premiere delivers big time with a gruesome murder. It's promising for what's to come.
Not taking anything away from John Malone's and Gavin O'Connor's work, but L.A. Noire that works even better thanks to its period setting, using it to its advantage, and I'm not one to complain.
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