Directed by Shane Black
Written by Shane Black & Anthony Bagarozzi
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Angourie Rice, Kim Basinger, Margaret Qualley, Yaya DaCosta, Keith David, Beau Knapp, Matt Bomer, Daisy Tahan, Ty Simpkins, Hannibal Buress
Soundtrack: David Buckley and John Ottman
Even if you don’t know him by name, if you’re an action movie fan, you probably already love yourself some Shane Black.
From being one of the guys in Predator, to being the screenwriter of Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3, and 4, to other odd jobs like directing Iron Man 3, Shane Black has always had a knack for blending action and humor.
Nowhere is this gift more apparent than in, dare I say, his magnum opus, The Nice Guys, which is, if you couldn’t tell already, a 1970s Los Angeles pulp detective story with more than a dash of comedy.
I expected this movie to have laughs. I was not necessarily expecting it to be funnier than, say, Deadpool. In fact, The Nice Guys is probably funnier than any marketed comedy you’ll see this year, but, don’t get it twisted, it’s still a killer detective story at heart that’s got fangs when needed.
The key to the whole thing, save for Black’s screenplay, is the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. Both have comedic chops on their own, particularly Gosling, but together they’re absolute dyn-o-mite. Throw in a brilliant young actress named Angourie Rice and you have a film that’s solid gold. We don’t get too many private eye stories anymore (pretty much the whole reason why Shane Black wrote this), and I’m sure glad we now have this one, but I’m willing to bet this movie could have been about anything, and as long as you had that combo of Black, Crowe, and Gosling, it’d be a smash (having Keith David show up certainly doesn’t hurt either, because that guy rules).
Other than that I don’t feel the need to say too much more. I anticipate The Nice Guys will be a Top 5 movie in 2016, and you definitely don’t want to miss out.
Go see it at your earliest convenience at your local moviehouse.
Rating: ★★★★½