Everything from the tough but nebbish Guy Pearce, and his inverse tough guy par excellence a then newcomer Crowe (who rumored to have gotten the part thanks to his performance in Romper Stomper) lead the film and stalwart character players provide the foundation. Our sounding board, the hypnotically grizzled timbre of Danny Devito, whose Hush Hush narration could be a lesson in itself if you want to learn about effective exposition. The brilliant (but underutilized) David Strathairn as the foppish asexual, high-class pimp, if classic cinema has taught us anything, never trust the slender moustached man. We have John Sayles to thank for Strathairn, and his subsequent performances to sustain his legacy this is one of his best. Ron Rifkin is ideally suited as the weasley DA; Graham Beckel embodies those types of cops we can’t wish away Dick Stensland, out of shape, drunk, and probably racist, like Captain Dudley Smith says “he's a disgrace". Speaking of the Captain who might be my favorite character in the film, there’s James Cromwell, who might be my favorite performance in the movie, I’m not sure if it’s the way he nails that first (or second) generation Irish immigrant accent, that gaunt, lengthy fatherly demeanor. James Cromwell is doing some of his best work. Has Kevin Spacey ever had a “weak” role? I don’t think so, and his "Hollywood Cop" Jack Vincennes is politically canny and cooler than thou who plays him smart, but not too smart.