The Nice Guys

SPOILER-FREE MOVIE REVIEW

A buddy cop film starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe involving all the shenanigans that could happen around a murder and based in the 1970's? Sign me up for that, man.

I can't stress enough how much I wanted to see this movie. Even more so as it's only been given a very limited release in Singapore.

The Nice Guys is a movie about this small-time private investigator Holland March (Gosling) and daughter-cum-sidekick Holly (Angourie Rice) who work together with hitman Jackson Healy (Crowe) to solve some cases.

That premise alone was enough to sell the movie in its entirety to me.

Coming from writer-director Shane Black, whose limited filmography ranges from cult classics like 2005's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to 2013's blockbuster superhero flick Iron Man 3, I was excited to see how he'd put his stamp on the genre - and to see if it's something fresh and not just a remake of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

I'm happy to report that this movie was such a breath of fresh air - especially in this year's lineup of movies thus far which have been filled to the brim with mega superhero movies and Young Adult book adaptation movies that nobody gives a rat's arse about.

It's a genre (buddy cop) that hasn't been explored well in a long time. Recent buddy cop movies like The Heat (2013) or Ride Along (2014) all failed to really appeal to many, and failed to be anywhere near as memorable as classics like Lethal Weapon or the Rush Hour movies.

Now, what makes a buddy cop movie like those aforementioned memorable? Not story, not locations, but the chemistry between the two leads.

Just look at the chemistry Mel Gibson and Danny Glover or Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan had. The chemistry was so natural and so brilliant.

Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe were magnificent together.

Their chemistry was electric and they gave every single scene they had together that extra bit of brilliance which made the movie even more memorable.

On to the story, and it was neither too simple/predictable nor too complex for its own good.

The story kept me intrigued throughout as one twist happened after another, and I was never bored for a second.

The gripping story is also complimented by excellent editing and pacing which make for a film which manages to hold your attention for all two hours of it. That's no easy feat for any movie to achieve.

I also have to say that the film is written brilliantly by Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi. 

The script is witty and very clever - successfully accentuating the brilliant back-and-forth banter between the two utterly charismatic leads who really brought their A-game to this project.

For the rest of the cast, I'd say there were one or two standouts - the rest being all right.

Huge praise has to go to the "foul-mouthed minor-type character" in Holly, played by Angourie Rice.

Although I said she plays that typical sort of character, it's actually a rather fresh take on it.

Most of the time, we'll see minors swearing bucketloads and saying stuff not even older folk would say - most of the time for its comedic effect, and sometimes the style is used so much so that it becomes annoying.

Angourie Rice's Holly is not so much the vulgarity-toting kind of minor, just more of smart, witty and in every way her father's equal. A statement in itself of how fresh this film was to watch.

Perhaps the only qualm I had with the characters was US Department of Justice officer Judith Kutner played by Kim Basinger, who to my surprise, still looks stunning at 62 years of age.

Should Hollywood consider making a reboot of the 1967 classic The Graduate (which happens to be my personal favourite movie of all-time), Kim Basinger would be among my top candidates (a list including the likes of Marisa Tomei, Monica Bellucci and Julianne Moore) to play the iconic role of cougar Mrs. Robinson.

Her character in The Nice Guys, however, didn't appear much at all and ended up being rather forgettable.

It would have been nice if perhaps they had more expository scenes involving her character, as there was potential in Judith to be way more memorable than she ultimately was.

Shame that an actress as talented and as beautiful as Kim Basinger didn't have much to do in the film.

Let's talk about the film's setting, and how can one ever go wrong with a movie set in the 70's or 80's? 1977, to be precise.

There's just something about films set during these time periods which make them feel so awesome and so full of nostalgia (even though I wasn't alive yet in the 70's).

Movies like the two most recent entries in the X-Men film series (2014's Days of Future Past and this year's Apocalypse) are probably the best examples - with the fashion, cars, architecture, stoner-vibes and most importantly, the music giving these period pieces extra oomph.

The original music in this film by John Ottman and David Buckley successfully captured the essence of those times, with groovy base lines and synthesizers making one want to get up and dance.

These original tracks are backed up by classic hits from the time period such as "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire and "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes which give credibility and authenticity to the film as an accurate depiction of those times. It's awesome stuff.

In terms of flaws, I really found nothing much that I didn't like.

The only little niggle I have is the ending, which was just slightly too abrupt. I would have liked it if there was more time given to those final bits to slow things down and leave us all fully satisfied and craving for more.

All the actual ending does is make us crave for more - which isn't a bad thing.

That brings me to my precise point that there's really nothing all that bad about the film.

It's thoroughly enjoyable and I had such a good time with it.

All in all, The Nice Guys was a very welcomed breath of fresh air in the lineup of 2016 movies.

It was original, it was side-splittingly hilarious and it was one of the most memorable buddy cop films I've ever seen.

The chemistry between the film's main protagonists in Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe elevate the film to cult status, and I feel that this film will end up being one of the most sought-after movies of the past three or four years.

I don't think I've laughed this hard in the cinema all year. Yes folks, The Nice Guys was even funnier than Deadpool.

I had a ball of a time, and I'm adamant that you will too.

Easily one of my favourite movies of the year so far.

8.5/10.