The Nice Guys

Shane Black knows a thing about buddy action comedies. After all, he is the writing force behind the Lethal Weapon franchise, and has “Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang” and “The Last Boyscout” on his resume. “The Nice Guys” however, is his first foray into the 1970’s.

“The Nice Guys” is a buddy action crime caper of sorts with Ryan Gosling playing the drunk, sometime bumbling private investigator, Holland March, and Russell Crowe playing the strong, silent type, Jackson Healy. Angourie Rice steals the show as Holland’s daughter, Holly, who upstages her father in investigative skills and maturity at every turn. After a series of suspicious murders, they find themselves working together in an attempt to locate a young woman before it is too late.

Black does a nice job setting the tone for the film, and the set and costume designs are remarkable. The 1970’s never looked so cool, and I don’t know about you, but I’m always a sucker for the Hollywood scene in film. The humor certainly takes front seat to the action, but the pacing and intrigue is just enough to keep the film from stalling. Witty dialogue and shallow but familiar generic characters amplify the tone, but Black never was one to make a film realistic or emotional. There’s a reason they are called action-comedies, and to be honest, he is a master of his craft. He knows that it’s about the bullets flying, humor in the face of danger, and implausible situations that result in elaborate stunt work.

The story is a bit weak, with a valiant attempt at tying together the setting, the porn industry, the auto industry, and the Department of Justice. The shortcomings in plot development don’t really matter though. The real draw is the buddy chemistry and Shane Black knows it (and so should the audience). March and Healy are given just enough back story to gain our admiration and curiosity, and although they may not be likable as humans, they shine brightly as a duo.

Gosling shows his comic chops once again, and really drives this film forward. He finds that critical balance of humor and acting that is often missed in films of this nature, and when the actor does miss the mark, it leads to buffoonery (Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart), which flips the entire tone. Gosling has great comedic timing, but he also has the sex appeal and pedigree of more serious fare. He nails Holland March in a way that I suspect makes Shane Black proud.

Russell Crowe’s Healy shows a paunchier side we haven’t seen in a while, and coasts through his performance, offering sage, gravelly advice to Gosling’s more cavalier March. I was pleasantly surprised that he was the Murtaugh to Gosling’s Riggs (“Lethal Weapon” reference) and not vice versa. He is brutish, but flawed, and it takes the full film for us to understand him and really trust his character. It’s a nuanced performance, but well done considering the lightness of the movie.

John Boy (Matt Bohmer) and Blueface (Beau Knapp) are especially sinister as the villains, although both of their screen time is sadly limited severely. They relish in their over-done characters, but alas, there isn’t enough substance for them to partake in this movie.

Overall, considering the expectations, I was impressed. Two A-list actors, a 70’s Hollywood film noir setting, and the best buddy action-comedy writer/director of our time? It’s a great combination worthy of your viewing. 8/10.