THE NICE GUYS (R)
Released by Warner Brothers
Reviewed by Adam Mast
Smog, porn, epic late night parties…70s Hollywood had it all. Come to think of it, it wasn’t all that different from the Hollywood of today. In Shane Black’s unapologetic, uncompromising, noir laced, buddy action comedy, THE NICE GUYS, stars Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe prove that star chemistry can trump a convoluted plot. Of course, Black’s witty word play doesn’t hurt.
In THE NICE GUYS, mismatched private eyes Holland March (Gosling) and Jackson Healy (Crowe) join forces in a valiant effort to solve a mystery involving a murdered porn star, a political activist on the run, a high ranking political figure (played by Kim Basinger making this an L.A. CONFIDENTIAL mini-reunion for she and Crowe), and a crazy killer for hire. The job wont be easy however as single father March has a drinking problem and a comical aversion to blood while rough around the edges Healy has virtually no concept of the term “hands off.”
THE NICE GUYS is off the wall bonkers in terms of its comedy of errors approach and for all its 70s Hollywood-set antics, there’s never a moment where it doesn’t feel like a movie made by the same man behind the screenplays for LETHAL WEAPON, THE LAST BOY SCOUT, and the brilliant KISS KISS, BANG BANG (which Black also directed.) If only THE NICE GUYS had the cohesive structure of this gifted writer/director’s past work.
There’s a propulsive energy at the heart of THE NICE GUYS, there’s no doubt about that. Furthermore, Black (who hit box-office gold as the director of the polarizing IRON MAN 3) provides plenty of banter for his leads, and to Gosling and Crowe’s great credit, they have spot on chemistry and deliver Black’s colorful dialogue with aplomb. Sadly though, there’s a little too much going on in THE NICE GUYS and there are certain sequences in the picture–including a scene in which baddie John Boy (Matt Bomer) has an encounter with March’s daughter (Angourie Rice)–that are surprisingly clunky in execution.
That being said, there are plenty of moments in THE NICE GUYS that work (many of those moments are spoiled in the trailer), and in a way, I have to admire Black for throwing caution to the wind and daring to make a movie this cynical and this blatantly non-PC. Of course, these are both traits that might keep the very adult-oriented THE NICE GUYS from appealing to the masses. Not this Shane Black fan, however. I really didn’t have a problem with that stuff. I just didn’t think the film offered up enough consistency and heart, and it never quite maintained that sweet spot for me.
Thankfully, the gags that do hit, hit big. The opening of the film, in which a young boy sneaking a peek at a nudie magazine gets the surprise of his life (for the record this young boy commits a chivalrous act in a movie very thin on chivalrous acts), is shocking and oddly hilarious. Meanwhile, the big finale is a ton of outrageous fun despite one too many goofy pratfalls, and the fashion in which Black uses film itself as a macguffin of sorts, is pretty creative too. Add to this Hitler jokes, “Waltons” references, “Three Stooges” inspired slapstick, and unexpected bursts of random violence and you have a movie that’s as eccentric as it is audacious. It should also be noted that at the very least, THE NICE GUYS is an original in what looks to be yet another summer full of sequels, reboots, and comic book adaptations, so that should account for something too.
I had extremely high expectations for THE NICE GUYS. Probably too high. Those expectations come from my pure, unadulterated love and admiration for Shane Black. I’ve been a fan for years. As for his latest, this is a movie in which the parts are stronger than the whole. Having said that, if you like Shane Black and want to bear witness to the personification of picture perfect rapport between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, than it’s worth a look. Just keep your expectations in check and be warned: THE NICE GUYS is R rated for a reason.
