The Nice Guys

Don't let the name fool you. The Nice Guys aren't nice ... especially not to bad guys and each other. So don't expect anything placid from this movie. You can, however, expect a bizarre movie to get smarter by the minute.

It's 1977, and Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a neebish PI who works any case he can in L.A. One day, old Mrs. Glenn (Lois Smith) gives him the case of her niece, Misty Mountains. Misty ... an actress of "high renown" ... drove her car through a house and died. But Mrs. Glenn is convinced Misty is still alive and one Amelia Kutner (Margaret Qualley) can prove it. Amelia is missing and Holland has to find her.

But Amelia doesn't want to be found. So she gets her own hired hand, the brutish Enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), to drive away Holland. It turns out that some shady people want to find Amelia too. So Jackson and Holland join forces to find her first. Their trek down Hollywood uncovers a conspiracy involving Detroit automakers and a Political Protest Porn film.

(There, I said it. Porn. Alliteration is funny.)

Director/Co-Writer Shane Black, creator of the Lethal Weapon movies, brings another winning movie duo together with Crowe and Gosling. Their chemistry as they go from reluctant partners to willing ones is what makes the movie work. Gosling gets the best comedic moments while Crowe gets the best action. Meanwhile, Angourie Rice, as Holland's daughter Holly, makes for a great straight man and morality chain for the two of them.

About the story. It's like Abbot & Costello were in a film noir and the Hay's Office was asleep. The slapstick is hilariously brutal and John Boy (Matt Bomer), the film's main henchman, is legitimately threatening. Misty's death is all kinds of wrong but her last words make sense later on (it's the name of the MacGuffin movie). Amongst the family friendly laughs, there's one with coffee, another with a protest and a dream with a giant bee. The mystery story surrounding it all is a masterful one.

It's also a winner in technical aspects. The production and costume design are another vibrant representation of the 1970's. Joel Negron's editing legitimizes the humor, action and suspense. There was also a nifty original score, one provided by David Buckley and John Ottmann. There was barely an old standard in hearing range and it was cool for it.

My only issue, a minor one, is that the film should have been a few minutes shorter. Other than that, The Nice Guys runs smoothly for 116 minutes. It's an entertaining action comedy with a capable plot and great characters. It's the kind of movie that makes you want more like it. I do.