I want sequels, lots and lots of sequels. I seriously just want films where Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling just hang out and rip on each other for two hours at a time. The Nice Guys could easily be my favourite film of the year, but if your not into action/buddy-comedies, with dark-humour, bare-breasts and a little bit of bloody violence then this film is probably not for you. However if this film is not for you, then spoiler-alert, you’re probably a pretty boring person.
The Nice Guys is the spiritual sequel to 2005's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; don't know what Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is? Stop everything you're doing and watch it now, then come back to this review. It's the film credited as being responsible for getting Robert Downey Jnr the Iron Man role, which subsequently led to Shane Black writing and directing Iron Man 3. If you're unfamiliar with Shane Black's work, don't worry, you know all of his films. He's the guy responsible for writing the Lethal Weapon series, The Long Kiss Goodnight and The Last Boyscout. So you know, quick witted dialogue, creative action sequences and an odd obsession with setting his films at Christmas.
The Nice Guys involves two mismatched private eyes played by Ryan Gosling, the guy your girlfriend or wife wishes you were, and Russell Crowe, the guy guys wish they were. Whilst joining forces to find a missing girl, they discover a whole series of things including porn stars, assassins, law suits, district attorney's, senile old grannies, mermaids and somehow by the end of the film it all makes sense but keeps you guessing from one scene to the next.
The film is set in the 70’s, and this is just brilliantly realised in a way that makes the film feel like it really was made in the 70’s; It’s so slick, and has the sensibilities of the time and place that makes it feel fresh in the current cinema climate that’s always so keen to play it safe. The humour is dark and not always appropriate. The violence is harsh and brutal when it needs to be, but most importantly the film doesn’t pander to the audience as it subverts many of the conventions of the genre which makes for some clever rug-pull moments in the movie.
The film really does play to Shane Black's strengths: it's a buddy-comedy wrapped around a film-noir style mystery. There's great characters, regardless of whether they are in one scene or the whole film. Everything in his films are always linked in one way or another; what may seem like throwaway statement or discussion comes back in interesting and funny ways. There's twists and turns but at the heart of the film is just this amazing chemistry between Gosling and Crowe that just leaves you wanting more. It’s also great to see Ryan Gosling playing it for laughs, you forget just what great comedic timing he has. He can keep doing his dark brooding sometimes depressing Nicholas Winding Refn movies just as long as he keeps punching out these kinds of comedies from time to time.
Overall, the film is not perfect, but for all the great one-liners, action and twists the film keeps churning out, you can forgive the occasional plot hole. It’s easily one of the most quotable films of the year, and with this newly discovered comedic pairing of Crowe and Gosling this film definitely deserves your time, especially during a blockbuster season filled with superhero movies, remakes, reboots, sequels, turtles and Mad Hatter’s.
The Nice Guys gets Four and Three Quarter out of Five Stars (or Four and Three Quarter out of Five Gooch’s gushing over this film like a school-girl or some sh*t)
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