The Nice Guys is a movie that I've been looking forward to for a while, since the combination of two of my favourite actors and one of my favourite screenwriters is obviously something that would get me excited. I enjoy period movies like this; cheesy, pulpy mysteries that I can just have a fun time watching. Movies like that are always exciting to me, especially when they're being made by such talented people. Seeing this movie was my birthday present to myself, and it really did brighten my day. It was one of those movies where you could feel the energy from everyone it it; the fun they're having, and the love they have for what they're doing.
This movie hinged on the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, and the two of them delivered that chemistry perfectly. They're not friends, they don't slowly gain respect for each other to work together as a perfect team; they're just two guys with a common agenda. It is funny to label this movie as a "buddy film", since they never really become buddies. The animosity and personality differences between them keep the movie engaging, since it's just so much fun to watch the two actors working off of each other. Between the two of them, Ryan Gosling was the stronger character. Holland March was a high-strung, manic, self-destructive man, and Gosling played all sides of him really well. There were so many moments with these perfect, energetic outbursts, with Gosling's facial expressions selling a joke just as well as the dialogue does. March was also a very sympathetic character, since his screw-up nature has a very believable and very well set-up backstory. Nothing about it felt lazy or rushed, and like the rest of the film, details were brought into the movie at the perfect pace. I was surprised that Gosling could go from making me laugh so hard to tugging at my heartstrings, and I could buy it. Russell Crowe's Jackson Healy was almost March's opposite; a quiet, methodical, effective man who just wanted to do the job and move on. I found Crowe more funny in general, because a lot of his humour was more dry and dark, which I find to be very funny. Jack Healy is more of a gruff character than some of Russell Crowe's more well-known roles, but Crowe really embraces the uncaring and rough side of Healy. It's hard to pick a favourite between the two of them, because the characters were so different, and both worked perfectly for together. Either way, it was two fun forms of comedy mixing perfectly; straight-faced and deadpan with over-the-top slapstick.
Something that I didn't expect, but was pleasantly surprised by, was how large of a role that March's daughter Holly, played by Anjourie Rice, had in the story. I expected it to just focus on March and Healy working together, but Holly helped them a lot as well. She was even more efficient at solving the mystery than the two leads were at times, and she always had a witty line ready to go. Holly is one of the best child characters that I've seen in a long time, because she's persistent but not precocious, she's smart and capable, and Rice gives a really good performance. Holly's relationship with her father, and how it grew and evolved, was also a very well-paced and developed relationship. It does feel like how a real father-daughter dynamic would be after some of the trials and tribulations that their family has been through.
All of the characters felt unique and complete, even those who only appeared for a line or two. I love when movies do that; when one of the funniest parts of a movie can be someone who just passes through a scene and doesn't impact the story at all. That, and then some side characters would appear, being played by actors like Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger or Keith David (whose appearance in anything will make me extremely happy). These unexpected appearances added a whole new layer of enjoyment to the movie, and because they were all so different in personality, the character dynamics were always entertaining.
In the end, The Nice Guys was everything that I wanted it to be and more. It had great performances for unique and fun characters, a fleshed-out, interesting setting, and an upbeat energy that never let up. I also loved the way that the movie was made; the script was snappy and moved along at a consistently fast pace, and the editing (something that I don't notice that often) sold a lot of the jokes even better than the writing did at times.
The Nice Guys made me laugh for its entire run-time, and just gave me a feeling of joy while I was watching it. Whenever a 70s song would blast in out of nowhere, it would put a smile on my face, and I'd nod along with it, just enjoying the atmosphere and the experience of the movie. When a film can make my day better, then I'm sure to remember it, and I want to revisit The Nice Guys as soon as possible.
This movie hinged on the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, and the two of them delivered that chemistry perfectly. They're not friends, they don't slowly gain respect for each other to work together as a perfect team; they're just two guys with a common agenda. It is funny to label this movie as a "buddy film", since they never really become buddies. The animosity and personality differences between them keep the movie engaging, since it's just so much fun to watch the two actors working off of each other. Between the two of them, Ryan Gosling was the stronger character. Holland March was a high-strung, manic, self-destructive man, and Gosling played all sides of him really well. There were so many moments with these perfect, energetic outbursts, with Gosling's facial expressions selling a joke just as well as the dialogue does. March was also a very sympathetic character, since his screw-up nature has a very believable and very well set-up backstory. Nothing about it felt lazy or rushed, and like the rest of the film, details were brought into the movie at the perfect pace. I was surprised that Gosling could go from making me laugh so hard to tugging at my heartstrings, and I could buy it. Russell Crowe's Jackson Healy was almost March's opposite; a quiet, methodical, effective man who just wanted to do the job and move on. I found Crowe more funny in general, because a lot of his humour was more dry and dark, which I find to be very funny. Jack Healy is more of a gruff character than some of Russell Crowe's more well-known roles, but Crowe really embraces the uncaring and rough side of Healy. It's hard to pick a favourite between the two of them, because the characters were so different, and both worked perfectly for together. Either way, it was two fun forms of comedy mixing perfectly; straight-faced and deadpan with over-the-top slapstick.
Something that I didn't expect, but was pleasantly surprised by, was how large of a role that March's daughter Holly, played by Anjourie Rice, had in the story. I expected it to just focus on March and Healy working together, but Holly helped them a lot as well. She was even more efficient at solving the mystery than the two leads were at times, and she always had a witty line ready to go. Holly is one of the best child characters that I've seen in a long time, because she's persistent but not precocious, she's smart and capable, and Rice gives a really good performance. Holly's relationship with her father, and how it grew and evolved, was also a very well-paced and developed relationship. It does feel like how a real father-daughter dynamic would be after some of the trials and tribulations that their family has been through.
All of the characters felt unique and complete, even those who only appeared for a line or two. I love when movies do that; when one of the funniest parts of a movie can be someone who just passes through a scene and doesn't impact the story at all. That, and then some side characters would appear, being played by actors like Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger or Keith David (whose appearance in anything will make me extremely happy). These unexpected appearances added a whole new layer of enjoyment to the movie, and because they were all so different in personality, the character dynamics were always entertaining.
The mystery that The Nice Guys tells is a compelling one, though not exactly mind-blowing. There were one or two twists that I really didn't expect, and as soon as it looked like it was going to end one way, it would end on a slightly different note that would take the story on a completely different path. It lead to a resolution that was satisfying, but the final note that it ends on is slightly confusing. I just didn't quite get what Shane Black was trying to say, and the "moral of the story" seemed kind of vague and undefined. But the note that it ends on isn't really the point of the story; the real ending to the Amelia chase happens before, but the scene that's supposed to "add justification or explanation to why it all happened" didn't really do that.
Shane Black, as a writer or a director, has always delivered a movie with a distinct style and voice, even when working inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This movie is no different, and it also takes advantage of its time period setting really well. The Nice Guys has the atmosphere of the 70s down perfectly, from the music to the clothes to the sets (I wasn't alive in the 70s, but even this slightly cartoonish version of it works well). It's bright, colourful, and energetic; it's the kind of style that you can just get lost in, and enjoy the ride that the movie takes you on.
The Nice Guys made me laugh for its entire run-time, and just gave me a feeling of joy while I was watching it. Whenever a 70s song would blast in out of nowhere, it would put a smile on my face, and I'd nod along with it, just enjoying the atmosphere and the experience of the movie. When a film can make my day better, then I'm sure to remember it, and I want to revisit The Nice Guys as soon as possible.
I'm glad you liked this film. Ryan Gosling is hilarious in it.
ReplyDeleteGreat review.
- Zach (http://fadetozach.blogspot.com)