Now Showing: White Jazz

White Jazz
Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Andrew Dominik
Based on the novel by James Ellroy
Cast: Brad Pitt, Jessica Biel, John Krasinski, Benjamin Walker, Logan Marshall-Green, Kelsey Grammer, David Harbour, Andy Garcia, Ben Barnes, John Cusack

Plot: Dave Klein (Brad Pitt) is a lieutenant in the LAPD's Administrative Vice unit and an attorney. Klein has performed mob work in order to cover the costs for law school and still does jobs even after he has climbed the ranks in the police force. Klein has committed several murders. Klein seeks to get out of mob work and begs the dying Jack Dragna to let him go. When he refuses, Klein suffocates him.

After setting up a raid on a bookmaking operation, Klein and his partner George Stemmons (Benjamin Walker) are ordered to protect a witness in a probe into the influence of organized crime on boxing. Klein throws the witness out of a high window and makes it look like an accident, at the behest of the local mob. Later that night, Klein is summoned to investigate a burglary is at the home of J. C. Kafesjian (Andy Garcia), a drug dealer sanctioned by the LAPD.

Meanwhile, Klein gets a side job from Howard Hughes (John Cusack) to obtain information on an actress named Glenda Bledsoe (Jessica Biel) that would violate the morality clause of her full-service contract. Klein learns that Glenda has a "publicity date" with actor Rock Rockwell (Ben Barnes) which violates the morality clause. Also, during surveillance of Glenda, Klein finds out she and Rockwell are planning a fake kidnapping. However, Klein falls for Glenda and decides not to aid Hughes in getting her blacklisted by the film industry. Klein begins to aid Glenda as he continues investigating the Kafesjian burglary.

Klein discovers that Edmund Exley (John Krasinski) is still trying to prosecute Dudley Smith (Kelsey Grammer) and begins working with him. When he meets an undercover officer, Klein is shot up with drugs and kills him in an act caught on film. Klein is arrested by federal agents and becomes a witness, but is given 48 hours before he is taken into custody. Klein and Exley discover that Smith is selling heroin exclusively to the Southside Negro population in order to keep crime in that area "contained." The two track down the Kafesjians' burglar, Wylie Bullock (Logan Marshall-Green).

When asked by Klein to guard Bullock later that night, everything hits Klein: all his crimes and everything that is happening. He decides to meet Smith later that night, who offered Klein a deal earlier. Unbeknown to Smith, Klein brings Wylie Bullock, who has a grudge against Smith. When the two meet, Bullock attacks Smith, ripping out his eye and slashing his face ear to ear. Klein shoots Bullock and runs off. An APB is issued on Klein and he is caught.

While in federal custody, Klein writes a full confession of everything he has done, and everything that has happened. Six legal pads, ninety-four pages of confessions. He has copies sent to Hush-Hush, the Los Angeles Times, and the State Attorney General's Office. However, Klein escapes custody. He hides out with Pete Bondurant (David Harbour). After his escape, Klein's confessions fall on deaf ears, with only Hush-Hush magazine willing to print it. However, Hush-Hush is silenced by an injunction and is prevented from printing the confession. Howard Hughes feels betrayed by Dave Klein because of the Bledsoe job. He has Bondurant beat him up bad enough to require hospital attention. Exley sends Klein a package in the hospital, which includes a blank passport and a silencer fitted .38 revolver. Exley says in his note that Smith is neutralized, but says he will allow Klein to kill Smith if he feels justice has not been absolute regarding Dudley Smith. Instead, Klein murders J. C. Kafesjian. Klein spends one last night with Glenda Bledsoe, takes pictures of her to remember her by, and leaves for the Pan Am airport.