The Nice Guys

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2016’s summer blockbuster season is just getting started but is already getting crowded. With competition between franchises getting fierce, is there really room for a stand-alone action movie from an original screenplay? How about an R-rated comedy that is in no way connected to Judd Apatow?

Apparently not so much, considering its unremarkable performance at the box office so far, despite generally good reviews and two big stars. It can be hard to find the time to see everything that’s out there and I know priority has to go to seeing the latest installment of all your favourite franchises but I am quite sure you won’t regret making some time for The Nice Guys.

A thug-for-hire with a heart of gold (Crowe) and a cynical private eye (Gosling) team up to search for a missing girl who seems to be connected to a murdered porn star and has somehow caught the attention of the justice department. And it all takes place in 1977 Los Angeles with an excellent sense of time and place.

After A Good Year, Crowe’s last attempt at headlining a comedy, it’s a pleasure to see one finally play to his strengths. The Nice Guys uses his tough guy image to its advantage instead of trying to make us forget about it. Paired with the ever-versatile Gosling, they are just as hilarious as writer-director Shane Black’s previous pair of  detectives in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

The Nice Guys works because the escalating insanity rarely feels contrived or forced. As a team, Crowe and Gosling are just dysfunctional enough to be funny but competent enough to be almost believable. Best of all, the movie has just enough darkness to it that it’s not easy to forget.

34 thoughts on “The Nice Guys”

    2. Matt Post author

      I was surprised by the casting. I loved him in his prime but have grown tired of him after so many questionable choices have made him barely even relevant lately. I was surprised he’d get the chance at this point in his career to headline a movie with Ryan Gosling.
      But honestly, it works. I can’t imagine anyone else in the part.

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    2. Matt Post author

      Ryan is amazing in pretty much everything. I’ve been indifferent to Russell Crowe for awhile now just because he hasn’t done anything that’s interested me for years. He does a great job in this though.

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  4. elisa ruland

    Who knew these two would have such great chemistry? Two of my favorite actors, great supporting cast (especially the actress who plays Gosling’s daughter) and the added bonus that it made me laugh out loud = perfect summer movie.

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    1. Matt Post author

      I felt that way too about the “perfect summer movie”. It’s not as big a movie as we’ve gotten used to at this time of year but it just entertains so consistently both as a comedy and an action movie.

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  5. kmSalvatore

    Ha no kidding I wondered about this film , I love Crowe. The commercials just started running. Funny I see the comments and I’m the odd man out;) I like Crowe, and I’m not a Gosling fan… I’ll put it on the list, of go see;)

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    1. Matt Post author

      I like Ryan Gosling more than Russell Crowe only because he’s more consistent but they’re both a lot of fun to watch in this. If you haven’t seen Ryan in Half Nelson or Drive, they just might change your mind about him. I’d recommend Blue Valentine too but it’s a little depressing.

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      1. kmSalvatore

        Well Matt thanks, I’ve never heard of those movies , but I’ll look around .
        A few years ago when every one went goofy over Gosling , I just lost interest , never really giving Him a chance , so thanks for the list .

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    1. Matt Post author

      I actually feel like these movies have gone out of style a bit. I had a real sense of “they don’t make em like this anymore” when I was watching this.

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  8. John Charet

    Great post 🙂 I have not seen it yet, but it does look interesting 🙂 This is not the first time that Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling were in a film set in Los Angeles. Russell Crowe was in L.A. Confidential nineteen years ago and Ryan Gosling was in Drive five years ago. Now here they are together 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂

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    1. Matt Post author

      It’s worth it. The action may not be explosive enough that it wouldn’t be just as good on your TV or laptop but the comedy is a lot of fun in a roommate of people.

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  14. Myerla

    Luckily I have a lot of spare time to see anything I want to so I got round to seeing this and I loved, certainly agree that both Holland and the other one are competent and funny enough to be believable.

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