Shane Black's "The Nice Guys" is one of the most pleasant experiences I've had in a cinema so far this year. Starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, the film follows two private-detectives who are thrust together by chance and circumstance as they try to uncover the mystery of a missing teen, all the while unravelling a much larger conspiracy along the way. The advertising for this film was spot on with the trailer utterly convincing me that I had to go and see this movie, without it giving too much away in terms of plot that it spoiled my overall enjoyment of the story in the theatres, and this is reflected in the film's strong opening weekend at the box-office.
The best part of The Nice Guys has to be how strongly written it is on the part of Shane Black. Black is a talented director, but almost no-one writes sharp and witty dialogue the way that he does in Hollywood today. The way he sets up scenarios comes across as utterly natural and thus the conversations that characters have spawning from these situations also appears authentic. One sequence in particular that stands out as an example of how great Black's writing can be is the protest scene. This was my favourite scene in the whole movie wherein the two investigators turn up to question a protest group who are campaigning against the pollution in the Earth's atmosphere. From the group's constant insistence that they couldn't discuss the case with the detectives as they "were dead", to Crowe's quick witted questioning of why the group's gas masks didn't save them from the dirty air, this scene perfectly showcases Shane Black's abilities as a writer of comedy, and this is only a three minute slice of the film. I've yet to see a Shane Black movie I really disliked, and this outing definitely continues that trend. If you have a dry and dark sense of humour, I would highly recommend The Nice Guys due to Black's stellar writing.
The chemistry between the two leads is also very impressive. Gosling and Crowe play off of each other very well, and what is great about these characters is that, while they have their differences, the two are not polar opposites. Gosling's Holland March is a man with little shame. He is a single father with shaky morals who has become jaded with his job, viewing it as solely a way to bring in money after his wife's unfortunate passing. On the other hand, Crowe's Jackson Healy is a man who cares about his work, having found it gives him a sense of purpose. While not yet an officially listened PI, Healy is the straight-man of the double act, most of the time proving himself more competent than his more experienced counterpart. In saying this, it is the internal struggle that both men share that brings them together, as both March and Healy are both trying to rebuild their lives after the loss of their wives has left them damaged and aimless men. The relationship between the two men feels more organic than would be expected from this type of comedy, and the performances from both Gosling and Crowe make it clear that this is a very real friendship we are seeing develop on-screen. Serious props also have to be given to young actress Angourie Rice, who excels in the role of March's daughter Holly. Playing a character who is mature beyond her years, Rice delivers each scathing insult and hilarious one-liner given to her with a perfect deadpan expression and tone, and her acting is never over-the-top as is the inherent problem with most other ambitious child actors. Rice doesn't just deliver a good comedic performance "for a child star", Rice delivers a good comedic performance "period". All-in-all, the future looks bright for this impressive young actress.
I only have a few minor gripes to make about the film. There were a few occasions were the jokes fell flat, which can be expected from any comedy. Yet what the Nice Guys does wrong is that it revisits these failed laughs, highlighting its weaker moments rather than reminding the audience of its highs. Also there is a slight imbalance in the film's plotting. Sometimes there is far too much going on and on some occasions there seems to be nothing really happening. Steadier pacing would have benefitted the story greatly and would have helped to hold the audiences attention 100 per-cent of the time from beginning to end. However, these are small problems as this really is a largely enjoyable film.
The Nice Guys continues a strong year in for all-new original properties. It is an intelligent film that balances great physical comedy with hilarious dry wit. The cast shines in parts which they were born to play, and all-in-all it was a very enjoyable time at the movies. The audience in the screening I went to were buckled in their seats from beginning to end, and I would bet that I've yet to witness a crowd who enjoyed their movie-going experienced as much as the men and women I shared the theatre with for The Nice Guys. While this won't be the most impactful or emotionally hard-hitting movie you will see this summer, it is an enjoyable throwback to the buddy-cop movies of old and a very clever and funny film that could easily spawn a franchise.
Score: 8.5/10
brilliant write up!
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