1950''s Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth each in their own style: Ed Exley the golden boy of the police force willing to do almost anything to get ahead except sell out; Bud White ready to break the rules to seek justice but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime.