“The Nice Guys” introduced me to a genre that has since become my favourite: The neo-noir/black comedy/crime/buddy cop genre. And it’s got almost everything one looks for in a movie. It’s thrilling, riveting, funny, and tugs at your heart strings—at the same time without getting too melodramatic on you.
It’s also the movie that made me realize Ryan Gosling isn’t just lover boy, pretty boy material and has absolutely cracking comic timing too; particularly with the witty and comic material he’s presented with. Whether it was his character pretending to be a mermaid and almost sabotaging a mission, his futile and bloody attempt at punching a window pane to gain entry into a locked building, or his first encounter with Russell Crowe’s character in a toilet cubicle, Gosling had me in splits.
Crowe and Gosling Pair Up; Twists and Turns Ensue
The narrative of “The Nice Guys” isn’t exactly linear; this helps, because its many twists and turns propel it and keep viewers enthralled and intrigued. In fact, it would be near impossible to tell you the whole story without getting all tangled up myself; but since this is a review, here’s the gist: Porn star gets murdered, two private investigators bump into each other and team up to solve the crime, and both fall down a rabbit hole of more crime. Also hilarity and a lot more chaos and murder ensues from there.
While the screenplay (as all Shane Black screenplays go) can get a tad mind-boggling and hard to keep track of sometimes (especially if you aren’t familiar with Black’s signature style, which he also utilises in the under-appreciated homage to pulp fiction novels “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”), the performances elevate this neo noir.
Russell Crowe is brilliant as the gruff and witty wisecracking PI Jackson Healy; but Ryan Gosling steals the show as goofball PI Holland March. He’s a funny, endearing character often brought down by his own vices—such as alcoholism—but isn’t a quitter. Additionally, Angourie Rice as Holly March is a young talent to look out for.
A Good Cast and Story Make ‘The Nice Guys’
The rest of the supporting cast do justice to their well-rounded characters, who for once aren’t just hanging around to fill out a movie; they have their own subplots, which adds to the already thrilling plot. The lighting, soundtrack, and costumes never let you forget you’re taking a ride through the dark, dingy, heavily neon-clad ’70s era. Much like Black’s previous outing “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” there are plenty of head-scratching moments and witty, quotable zingers packed into “The Nice Guys” too.
If you have a soft spot for crime capers that give off major ’70s vibes while keeping you on the edge of your seats (as well as highly entertained), then this taut and unpredictable noir by Shane Black (honestly my favourite filmmaker in this genre) is a must-watch.
“The Nice Guys” is currently available to watch on Hulu, Prime Video, VUDU, Apple TV, Vudu Movie & TV Store or Redbox.
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