Shane Black was the creative
brain behind Lethal Weapon, he has
done 2 films with Robert Downey Jr, the first of which, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, successfully rejuvenated RDJ’s career, the
second of which, Iron Man 3, made so
much money that it gave Black enough clout to get whatever project he wanted
off the ground, that film just so happened to be The Nice Guys.
Set in 70’s LA
with the hair very big and the clothes very bright, The Nice Guys stars Russell Crowe as Jackson Healy and Ryan Gosling
as Holland March, who form an unlikely double act who when investigating into
the death of a porn star stumble, quite literally at times, on clues that point
the way to the death being a part of something much bigger.
Black is known for
his great dialogue and The Nice Guys has
it in abundance, there is also a perfect synergy between the actors and the
script and it’s been a long time since both actors have been in such good form.
The pairing of March and Healy could best be described as Laurel and Hardy,
Crowe would definitely be the Olly of the two, he’s a stern man who presents
himself to be intelligent, Crowe plays hulking sulks well, but there’s
much more to Healy here. Healy’s consistent world weariness over the behaviour
of March is a consistent delight.
Gosling is the films real revelation. Such a
charming and delightful presence in real life, Goslings previous film roles
have been very still, leading to the nickname from some corners of the internet
of ’quiet Ryan’. As Holland March however, Gosling delivers one of the finest
comedy performances of recent years. He is the perfect blend of previous comic
creations, as a detective he’s like an alcoholic Inspector Clouseau, with a goatee
and a nice suit. He’s the Stan Laurel to Crowes Olly, and there are moments of
absolutely wondrous slapstick akin to Buster Keaton, one particular pratfall
down a hill is as absurd as it is hilarious.
Black captures the 70’s in all of its glitzy, disco
ball, nostalgic glory, something which he achieves best during a stellar party
sequence to the tune of Earth, Wind and Fire. He also peppers the film with
these superb quirky characters that fulfil various 70’s archetypes, it’s
something that was done to far greater effect in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, but it still works well
enough for the type of atmosphere that Black is striving to deliver.
The film isn’t flawless however. The main drawback
is it doesn’t feel as original as it could be, Black’s previous work has always
felt incredibly distinctive, a film like Kiss
Kiss Bang Bang has so much more underneath the glitzy caper on top, this
feels a little less like it has that underneath the fun. Black also doesn’t really
approach his female characters with the same amount of respect he does with the
men, it could be said that given the film focuses on the porn industry in Hollywood
he is reflecting the poor treatment of women, but given that there’s only
really one female character who is portrayed in a positive light, March’s
fiercely intelligent young daughter, that theory rings a little hollow whilst
you’re watching it. There’s also some proleptic irony thrown in during a scene
towards the end, that seems to want to offer some form of social commentary,
but it’s ultimately a footnote in the context of the film and it doesn’t really
land.
At the end of the day, The Nice Guys probably comes off most as a sort of Shane Black’s
greatest hits type of film, but it’s for that reason that the film is so purely
enjoyable. Black is reverential enough to LA noir for it to play out like LA Confidential,
clearly helped by the presence of Russell Crowe and Kim Basinger, but there’s
also so much wonderful comedy here that at times it feels like the delightful
Bogdanovich farce What’s up Doc? It
probably won’t be the Black film that holds up as well 10 years from now, but
you’ll enjoy it so much at the time that you won’t particularly care. (High 4 Stars)
