Review of The Nice Guys (2016) by Yorkman — 03 Jan 2017

Shane Black directs what is, in effect, a rephrasing of his earlier film 'Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang'

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling star as two mis-matched guys with a de rigeur 'dark past' who become embroiled in a search for the daughter of the head of the Department of Justice, and her involvement in a porn film which has caused everyone else involved in it to wind up dead.

Set in the hedonistic days of 1977, in an eternally Sunny Los Angeles, the film moves along at a reasonable pace, and the set pieces all work well in giving the audience enough information to understand, but not feeling the need to force huge amounts of exposition so as to spell it all out.

Crowe and Gosling have undeniable chemistry, the script is tight, and the young Angourie Rice steals every scene she's in as Gosling's 13 year old daughter.

Throw in a fantastic pseudo 70's musical score, and enough disco/funk hits to create a very listenable to on its own soundtrack, and you've got an excellent adult-themed, buddy comedy movie.

So, what's not so good? Well, the movie does dispense with a lot of the 'nastier' elements of the world of Los Angeles at that time. With scenes at what are effectively sex parties, there's some nudity, but no actual sex going on, nor are there any piles of cocaine being snorted! Add to that a very sterile environment (something that bugs me in pretty much any film set in the past), where every car is pristine and beautifully clean and waxed, everyone is coiffured and immaculately turned out.

So, worth watching? Definitely! Just take it as what it is, a fun, profane movie with a twist here and there and a hint that there might be a sequel just before the end credits roll.