When you take into account the fact that Shane Black (Iron Man 3), the writer and director of The Nice Guys, is also the same person responsible for the Lethal Weapon series, The Last Boy Scout, and Last Action Hero, the film’s origins start to add up. This comedy duo crime thriller is a trunk filled with fun times wrapped around a deadly story and a certain sense of tongue-in-cheek self awareness, taking its cue from Black’s back catalogue.
At the heart of what makes it work so well is the partnership between Ryan Gosling (The Big Short) and Russell Crowe (Les Misérables), but then Black is the master of finding and developing great onscreen odd couple duos. The pair have got good dialogue, which they deliver with great comic timing and style, all wrapped up with a little knowing self deprecation bow as the film cleverly dishes out a certain amount of lampoon friendly fire looking back on Black’s earlier buddy movies.
The story is a slick mystery that centres around a missing girl, but as the dubious, dishevelled and dysfunctional private investigators – Jackson Healey (Crowe) and Holland March (Gosling) – got closer to the truth, the situation gets progressively more dangerous. The fact that there’s a smart film with a message within a film with a message is pretty clever, reminding you that there’s a lot to be said for the might, and in some cases the duplicity of big businesses, lest we ever forget it.
The supporting cast puts in a good effort too, with a convincing performances from newcomer Angourie Rice (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as March’s teenage daughter Holly, as well as Margaret Qualley as the feisty missing girl, Amelia Kutner. Matt Bomer (The Magnificent Seven) is pretty dark as hired killer John Boy and Beau Knapp (Super 8) brings the crazy as fellow nasty Blue Face. It’s also good to see Kim Basinger back in front of camera and she puts in a decent turn as Amelia’s mum Judith, bringing a fair amount of gravitas to the role.
The action in The Nice Guys is pretty impressive with some cool sequences and serious gunfights. Some of the stunts are pretty epic too, especially the free dive off the top of a building and some of March’s driving antics. The only slight negative is with a few of the fight scenes featuring Russell Crowe, which aren’t as crisp or effective as they should have been.
The 70s style works very well with a strong balance of nostalgia and modernity to act as a “then is now” time bridge to stamp a Cuban heel on the fact that issues of the past are the issues of today. More serious ideas aside, the costumes are brilliant with classic suits for March and Healey, epic dresses for the women in the film and some playful twists, ranging from body paint to mermaid costumes.
The mark of a good film is whether or not it would make a good addition to the DVD collection and The Nice Guys is definitely a strong contender. It’s got good re-watch potential with so much comedy, action and self deprecating charm. The cleverer elements of the film give it enough weight to ensure that it’s got something to think about for years to come.
The Nice Guys DVD review: 3.5/5
