The Nice Guys

Director: Shane Black
Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Kim Basinger

On reflection of the Shane Black buddy-cop movie (Gee, that does sound familiar) as a whole, it can be regarded as genuinely entertaining and worthwhile viewing. However, at any given moment during the first two thirds of the film, one would probably have said otherwise. 

Private investigators Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) and Holland March (Ryan Gosling) are both separately drawn into a curious case involving a string of murders connected to an experimental porno movie. One an emotionally disconnected psychopath, the other an alcoholic single father, the two form an unlikely partnership to tackle the case together. (It's bugging me, but I can't quite put my finger on it).

The film crescendos in terms of pace, humour and character likeability, from near non-existent at the beginning to relatively impressive at its conclusion. The narrative is promising and could have been enhanced by more well-crafted jokes - other than seemingly improvised babble - and perhaps harsher edits to the occasional drawn-out scene. Some ‘comedic’ dialogue seems to tediously drag on for an unsatisfactory payoff. Many of the jokes probably appeared better on paper.

Gosling and Crowe make a decent double act, with the latter supplying one of the best performances he’s pumped out in the last few years (cue heckles from Les Mis fans whom he beguiled with his angelic tones). Gosling is amusing, although had it not been for a need of ‘the cute one’, perhaps he would have been much less bearable. Crowe sustained a more droll performance with subtle throw-away delivery, while Gosling seemed to depend on high-pitched screams of ‘Jesus!’ or 'Shit!' and some rather poorly executed physical comedy; a laboured struggle with a toilet cubicle mid-dump was a little painful to watch. 

There was also an ostensible lack of any sort of empathy for either of the duo. The pinnacles of the two leads’ character arcs were Healy’s redemption when he decides to spare the life of an enemy, and March’s corny revelation that he ‘Will be happy’ (yuck...). Both beg the audience to ask themselves ‘Do I really give a shit?’- probably not.

Somehow most of this is forgivable. The action comes thick and fast in the final act- deaths occurring all over the shop. The cliche scene in which all the pieces of the puzzle come together is surprisingly satisfying, and a few actual laugh out loud moments are shared.  The showdown finale turns the ship around. If only the entire film offered the same pacey action and well-delivered jokes that the trailer promised.

And it's come to me! Of course. Any critic worth their proverbial salt couldn't fail to mention the proverbial elephant in the room; The Nice Guys is the floral shirt-sporting, magnum-moustache embellished twin brother of Shane Black's 2005 hit, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The dynamic between Golsing and Crowe is more than reministent of Downey Jr and Kilmer's. Not only that, but they are tagged along by a cute blonde who feels compelled to assist them on the case. Other similarities are the lavish big-shot parties they attend, Gosling and Downey Jr's womanising tendencies, and the fact that the culprit of the murders surfaces to be a disgruntled relative. It must be said however that The Nice Guys wins out, proving in its denouement to be a more engaging 'whodunnit'. (Although Kiss Kiss Bang Bang's mentioned porno has a better name; we'd all rather watch Lord of the Cockrings than How Do You Like My Car, Big Boy?

MS