The Nice Guys (2016)

Two private eyes form a most unlikely alliance when they take on a missing girls case. The death of a porn star and many bullets, punches and broken bones later, they find themselves in above there heads in a murder mystery. They must fight to stay alive while putting together the pieces of the puzzle and avoiding danger at every turn.

Director Shane Black really puts a Quentin Tarantino type vibe on this detective crime comedy. With witty humor and smart dialogue the action scenes really mix in well to the tone of the film. The cast here is also something special, with a mix of top “A-list” actors and some unknown (at least to me) ones. Needless to say Russell Crowe (Jackson Healy) and Ryan Gosling (Holland March) are great together! Providing just enough on screen chemistry, which made every scene with them special, and giving the film that certain kind of movie magic. Newcomer Angourie Rice (Holly March) was also a nice surprise, giving the movie that bit of emotion it needed. A great supporting cast which just added something special to an already great crime mystery story.

This comedy does not take itself too seriously and yet it never feels like your cheesy slapstick comedy. It has over the top moments that sometimes feels out of place but it does not take away from the film as the tone of the movie never loses sight of what it is. Solid directing and great chemistry from its two main leads keep this absurd comedy from ever getting too campy. Its 2 hour run time can be felt at times when the story feels to sway off course and slow down but it manages to pull off a good ending. This movie might not be for some but its a well made movie and is a solid 7, deserving every bit of it.

SCORE:                       7/10