"The Nice Guys" Movie Review

by: James Southworth
4.5/5 Stars

There was a time when buddy cop films were huge blockbusters. People loved the odd chemistry between a seemingly unlikely duo of actors, because (at least in the good ones) the chemistry worked in a weird way. But eventually they died out. People were more demanding larger casts and bigger action. So, "The Nice Guys" is a throwback in almost every way. The movie revolves around two people looking for one girl named Amelia after the death of a famous porn star. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) works as more of a "hit man for hire" type who is trying to make sure Amelia stays off the map. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a private investigator who doesn't mind working for money either, but he is actually trying to turn Amelia in. Eventually these two men cross paths, and end up working together. They soon discover a more convoluted plot as the government might have ulterior motives for finding Amelia, as well as a murderous group of individuals looking for her. "The Nice Guys" takes place in the 70's, reflects a lot of the tropes of buddy cop movies, is dialogue heavy, and has a plot that can have some twists, but not like the ones we see today. Everything about this movie goes against the grain of what modern movies are expected to be. And that is exactly what makes it so great.

The themes presented in this movie are all very intriguing. One of the best is the subtleties of what is good and what is evil. Healy is a hit man and his work isn't really legal, yet he is still taking down some very bad people. It's also shown how conflicted he is with the choices he has made and does want to be better. March does ask quite a bit of money for his work, and it is often quite a bit as he charges the money from vulnerable people. Yet we do also see him asking his own daughter, "Am I good person?" to which she honestly replies "No". For the rest of the movie we see March trying to change his ways for his daughter and be a better person. Despite both Healy and March having flaws, the audience does feel sympathy for them. They want them to work through their flaws and become better. Even the antagonists or lesser people are shown sympathy through the character of Holly March. She begs Healy two times not to kill two different people who are very dangerous. She talks to porn stars in a way that I imagine most people would not talk to them. The movie tackles this complicated subject very convincingly.

Another theme is, surprisingly, fatherhood. March is shown from the beginning of the movie to care quite a bit for his daughter Holly. He wants to keep her safe, but he doesn't see that she is not the innocent girl she used to be. Healy is more a surrogate father who she turns to as a mentor, and he does see she is smarter than she looks. Both of these characters actually do become better when they are around Holly; she lifts them up as people rather than being a burden. Director Shane Black could've so easily used the cliche that Holly was a hindrance to March and Healy. But instead she becomes a saving grace for both of them, their one shot at being looked at being redeemable people.
There are so many other things that work in this movie. The best element is the dark comedy aspect, which Shane Black is just an absolute pro at. Pretty much every joke sticks. I was cracking up at some of the scenes in here, with a bathroom stall scene (no spoilers) having me nearly crying with how funny it was. There is also a rather bizarre dream sequence that ends up being extremely hilarious in its own way. The jokes, while many times presented in a dark way, always seemed to work. Also, this movie just looked great. The costumes were perfectly periodic, as were the set pieces and the beautifully put together dialogue. Even the way the movie was shot gave it a distinctly neo-noir feel. Black thought of every subtle thing to make this feel like a throwback, and it was very effective. The only part of the movie I felt didn't really work were these weird little political messages being thrown in. They felt ultimately forced and unneeded in this movie; the time should've just been used to continue focusing on the jokes.

I couldn't have asked any more of the actors than what they gave here. Ryan Gosling gives one of the best roles of 2016 as Holland March. He played the role perfectly, making the character a bit pathetic, but also a protagonist we could root for. He became an absolute riot in the movie, as he showed just how bad of a cop his character was when put into certain situations. Gosling's scream of terror (which he did several times) was absolutely hysterical and never failed to crack me up. He was definitely my favorite from beginning to end. Gosling certainly created a dynamic character who we could feel for in his relationship to Holly. Russell Crowe gave an almost equally excellent performance as Healy. Though he is pretty much a type cast for tough guy roles, Crowe still played this one with particular confidence, as well as giving Healy a soft side. He perfectly balanced Gosling's incompetent cop as a very capable and confident hit man who did his job often better than March. Angourie Rice is also one of the best child actors I've seen, making her role as Holly March one that was interesting to watch. I felt great affection for her character as she was the heart of the movie, the one that offered some light in the midst of the darker moments. Matt Bomer gave a terrifying turn as John Boy, a killer to truly be feared. He always felt like someone you should be scared of, and the way Bomer presented the darkly comedic aspects of his character was very well done.

What else can really be said about this movie besides the fact it was nearly flawless? Besides some slightly shoehorned political elements, this movie boasts some great chemistry between its two leads, a surprisingly capable child actor, flawless usage of dark comedy, and a perfect-looking period piece. I definitely recommend this movie, as it is certainly a great work of art to behold.