The Nice Guys
The year is 1977 and Hollywood is about to be turned upside down as two private investigators Jackson Healy and Holland March (Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling) end up getting paired together on an unlikely case; porn star Misty Mountains’s (Murielle Telio) suicide and the disappearance of the semi mysterious Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley) could have larger implications for not only Los Angeles but also Detroit. Will our heroes get to the bottom of this mystery or will they be silenced by evil henchmen, and what about March’s precocious daughter Holly (Angourie Rice)? Exploring the buddy cop dynamic Director and Co-writer Shane Black has effectively developed a period appropriate story to which congratulations are in order; however, for those looking for a challenge to the age old good cop/bad cop whodunit story structure, sadly the search will have to continue, we’re not mining new territory here. But, making the ride enjoyable, performances from Crowe and Gosling keep the mood light, albeit not a laugh riot, but enough comedy stitched in throughout to float audiences from one action beat to the next. Just a shade long in run-time, nearly two hours, perhaps one more pairing down could have quickened the overall pace? Still notable for mindless matinee entertainment, The Nice Guys is rated R.