Ryan gosling had me in tears at times, even Russell Crowe had me laughing. It was hilarious with a good story. I didn't really know what to expect when putting this on because I've never even heard of it, but I'm so glad I found it. Was just a solid film all round, I have absolutely zero complaints or anything negative to say about it.
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nathanmanson10 December 2020
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I'm sure this film is going to divide audiences, in the same way that "Kingsman" did.
It's 1977 Los Angeles. Star Wars has premiered. Disco is in full swing. And porn star Misty Mountains has just died (spectacularly). It's pretty disturbing then that dodgy licensed private investigator Holland March (Ryan Gosling) has been hired two days later to find Misty by the slightly kooky Mrs Glenn (Lois Smith, the equally kooky doctor in "Minority Report") who saw her through the windows of Misty's home. Never one to turn down a pay check, Holland takes the case and the trail leads him to search for a missing girl called Amelia (Margaret Qualley). This leads him right into the substantial fists of the 'heavy for hire' Jackson Healey (Russell Crowe), who's been hired by Amelia NOT to be found. But it's clear that Amelia is at the centre of a tornado of intrigue, since her mother Judith (Kim Basinger) is head of the Justice department and there are some heavies from New York and Detroit looking for Amelia too.
As the film's tag-line admits "The Nice Guys" are "far from nice", and this is a sort of bromance buddy movie of the likes of "Lethal Weapon". (And that comparison is 100% valid since - and I honestly discovered this after I wrote that - director Shane Black ("Iron Man 3") got into cinema by writing the screenplay for the original "Lethal Weapon" back in 1987). But "The Nice Guys" has an edge that those films of the 80's couldn't have got away with. Subtle it ain't. There is a lot of violence, a bit of 70's porn and some fruity language that sensitive viewers may find offensive. (All in all, it's a bit of a surprise that it got away with a '15' certificate in the UK).
But it's also insanely funny at times. Some of the sight gags are laugh out loud material (and I don't tend to act on that often in a packed cinema). You might recall in "Diamond's Are Forever" that a Vegas hood tosses Plenty O' Toole out of Bond's hotel window. "Good Shot" quips Bond. "I didn't know there was a pool down there" responds the hoodlum. The basics of this scene are given a fresh and wonderfully gory rework that is truly memorable.
Gosling and Crowe have great chemistry together (although the degree of acting required by Crowe is debatable: he looks and acts like he seems to in most media interviews!) Some of their dialogue appears distinctly ad-libbed, which shows how comfortable they were with the roles. And Matt Bomer and Beau Knapp make memorably crazed villains. A role that unfortunately does irritate is Qualley's: the character of Amelia is supposed to be a bit crazed, but her speaking part is 120% off the scale.
The acting star of the show though is young Australian Angourie Rice as Holland's morally-centred and bright daughter Holly, who steals just about every scene she's in. A young lady to watch for the future.
1970's LA is nicely realised, with nice little subliminal drop-in shots: a Jaws 2 poster; Tower Records; the original Hollywood Tower Hotel. And the film naturally attracts some banging' 70's tunes to the soundtrack, with Al Green peerless over the closing titles.
But it's not perfect. The plot is quite impenetrable (I'm still unclear exactly what the relationship between Misty and Amelia was). And Black's screenplay (written with Anthony Bagarozzi) over-eggs the pudding of the final showdown scene. But while it won't be to everyone's tastes, I thought it was a blast from beginning to end: a guilty pleasure of bad taste that begs for a sequel. I would go to see the Gosling/Crowe show again. One of the most entertaining films of the year so far.
Please visit http://bob-the-movie-man.com to see the graphical version of this review and provide feedback on your views. (Thanks). -
akola-8792128 September 2019My British/Irish humour puts me at variance with US comedy. This film was funny because of the subtlety and great acting. I rarely like films when a child tags along because often the child behaves with a pretence superior to the adults but in this film the young girl was outstanding and can be taken seriously and believable. This is one easy to follow adventure with lots of funny bits. The story is not the star, the cast and the way they blend is well done. Rarely do you see a film when the whole cast are brilliant.
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henrycoles94 February 2020This was an ecstatics spectacle. Ryan Gosling just keeps falling off and tumbling and walking out unscathed in search of the truth. And the beautiful vibe of 1970s Los Angeles is brought it to perfection.
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Lewis_Heather7872 September 2016For a start i can't believe that I missed this film in the cinema and am I now regretting that decision considering how unbelievably good this film is. The main reason for me to take a look at this film months after it had been in cinemas is the two main leads, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Both of which are amazing actors and are just fantastic in there respective roles in the film, they play of one another in the film so well it really shows that both actors genuinely get on with each other. As for other actors they are all great however there is one who in my opinion rises above even Crowe and Gosling and that is the character of Holly March played by Angourie Rice. She is brilliant in every scene she is in whether it be insulting her father or giving advice for a con, this actress has great potential to go on a do great things. Turning our attention away from the cast and to the story and director, both roles which where filled by Shane Black. Once again this very talented director has hit it out of the park, the script is absolutely brilliant and there is never a dull moment in this film. Whether it be the banter between Holland and his daughter or to Jackson the lines that the actors deliver are amazing and perfectly timed, especially Hollands random quotes about Adolf Hitler. As well as the script that Shane Black helped to write the directing in this film is simply unique and brilliantly stylised, it probably really helped Black to write and direct this film. I would like to mention that "people" these days say Hollywood isn't making original films anymore and that only franchise films will be made. However a film like The Nice Guys is original and was made and unfortunately from what the box office results are know body bothered to go and see it, I know I'm guilty of that as well. This really makes me sad and it is also sad for this film because it 100% deserves a sequel but will probably never get it. There are some films around that have conned their way to multiple sequels without any of them being any good...divergent..cough.....Finally I would like to say that this film in my opinion is the best of 2016 so far, this film is such a surprise you will not be disappointed if you see it.
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lasttimeisaw16 November 2016Shane Black's third feature film, after his tent-pole stint in IRON MAN 3 (2013), THE NICE GUYS returns to his home turf L.A. as in his palatable debut KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005). A retro-70s odd-pair comedy couples a stone-faced heavy Jackson Healy (Crowe, sizably ballooned in his physique, whether intentionally or otherwise) and a goofy private eye Holland March (Gosling), who are set to look for a runaway girl Amelia Kutner (Qualley), but soon discover several deaths happened to those who are connected to a porno movie made by Amelia, in defiance of her mother Judith (Basinger), a honcho in the United States Department of Justice.
Black is conversant with the genre ropes, apportions much physical endeavor to Healy, socking low-lives, close-range combating with pro assassins, and leaves the brain work to an ostensibly lackadaisical March, a single father perennially tailed with a premature teenage daughter Holly (Rice), who feistily teams with the duo in their children-improper outings (including a licentious party thrown by an AV producer), and coolly transforms into a dauntless heroine in the process of solving this desultory mystery.
Yes, the plot is half-heartedly baked, there is no need of audience to connect the dots, a timely cue always routinely pops up to keep the story rolling, no matter how far-fetched it seems (a cash- delivery mission is interleaved in a slapdash flurry without rounding off its suspicious corners), and an crucial character can be conveniently dispatched right after beans having been spilt, just because her mission is completed, or maybe because she is a gorgeous, idealistic fruitcake, doesn't deserve a happy break?
However, what brings home to viewers is Black's deft execution of a roller-coaster ride (almost) without brakes, under a minutely reconstructed milieu and location faithful to the ethos. Black pranks routine action shticks with unexpected but absolutely droll twists, e.g. the duo's put-on- an-impassive-face retreat in an elevator when body count is mounting thanks to a then- disembodied hit-man Johnny Boy (Bomer, in a thankless uglified villain mold), peppered with wry Nixon jokes and wacky dream scenes; he also invigorates bravado with cracking gallows humor, for instance. when they are held at gunpoint by a vixen Tally (DaCosta), like father, like daughter, Holly can be madcap on some odd occasion.
The Gosling-Crowe interplay stimulates pleasurable chemistry and rapport under Black's devil- may-care rein, especially Gosling, seems to have an inherent knack at comic timing, and the newcomer Angourie Rice, skillfully straddles both pockets of precociousness and greenness, altogether they form a unique two-dads-one-daughter triad (without a palpable gay context).
For nostalgist, THE NICE GUYS also marks a L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997) reunion of Crowe and Basinger (who is another Botox victim borne out of the insecurity of aging) almost two decades later, Crowe can still lead a picture with his rotund but still agile figure, while Basinger can barely find a decent role to boost her waning career. The film doesn't fare well in the box office front, which might hinder the prospect of a sequel so to speak, maybe the 70s milieu is chiefly appealing for the reminiscent and cinephile, lesser to today's Millennials core audience, also justice doesn't fully prevail in the end, and an almost nihilistic overtone doesn't enhance its popularity either. -
The Nice Guys is an absolutely fantastic film from beginning to end! Every scene in the movie has at least 3 jokes that will make you belly laugh, and the action is well shot and choreographed. Additionally, Angourie Rice is also great in this flick, as she puts on one of the best performances any child actor has. Did I mention how funny the jokes are? The villains are great as well, even if they are extremely intentionally cliché making them so much better! That aside, the film provides the audience with a genuinely well thought out and well executed mystery. All in all, is this film fantastic? Yes. Is it funny? Absolutely. Should you watch it? DEFINATLY.
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cougarfan-bridger26 May 2016I'll admit that I am unfamiliar with most of Shane Black's original works, watching The Nice Guys made me want to go back and take a look at his earlier films. The characters were well written, even better cast, and fit well with the theme of the film. There was rare a dull moment, it seemed I was either enjoying the dark comedic tone, or getting engaged in the plot. While the first two thirds of the film seemed excellent, the writers set themselves up for a fantastic finish, but were unable to capitalize on that potential. The script seemed to suddenly turn very basic, with things "falling" into place almost too miraculously to be true. I never felt like I had truly been given an ending worthy of a classic detective story, but the fast pace of the film and humor was enough to make it very enjoyable.
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PyroSikTh7 June 2016The Nice Guys is pretty much a buddy cop comedy, except instead of cops, they're a private investigator and a contract tough guy who find themselves both looking for the same girl, who's gotten herself wrapped up in political and pornographic intrigue. While there are a number of action sequences, The Nice Guys is focused more on delivering humour and jokes based around a couple of reasonably well-developed characters and a mystery that's a little absurd and off- the-wall.
The comedy on offer here is quality stuff. The Nice Guys isn't just the latest Apatow or Rogen production that seems to just recycle jokes from other movies. Many of the jokes are well- thought out and some of them are actually clever. There's also a number of more slapstick moments, but none of them come as hammy, including the sight of Ryan Gosling fumbling with his gun and cigarette while sat in a cubicle. The comedy can be a little dark at times though, so if you like lighter laughs, The Nice Guys probably isn't your kind of movie. On that note, I was quite surprised at the amount of violence, gore, and nudity in play. Thankfully it's only gratuitous when it needs to be (which in this movie basically means for comedic effect). People do die, sometimes gruesomely, and there are a lot of boobs and constant talk of sex and pornography, sometimes from kids. Again if these kinds of things offend your soft heart, avoid The Nice Guys.
Talking of kids in this movie, one of the earliest lines refers to how kids these days know too much and act too grown up. This is a subtle theme of the entire movie. The line in question refers to a thirteen year old girl who chats up a guy three times her age for some weed, and another scene has a kid on a bike talking about his big dick, but more prominently is Angourie Rice who plays Holly, the PI's daughter, and shows a massive amount of maturity in every scene, often showing up her father in smarts. I would love to see a sequel set a number of years ahead where we follow a grown up Holly continuing her father's work.
The father himself, Holland March, is Ryan Gosling on top form. Most of the roles I'd seen him play were super serious ones, and his mumbling, tortured personas, while fantastic, started to grate. Here he is completely different. He's a silly, fumbling idiot a lot of the time, and provides the most laughs. His sense of comedy timing is perfect, and his slapstick antics are flat-out hilarious. That's not to mean that he plays the fool. In a lesser actors hands, that's exactly how March's character would have come across, but Gosling manages to balance all the over-the-top comedy with something a bit more grounded. While he shows a lot of signs of idiocy, he also shows some intelligence that helps us believe his role as a father and detective. Unfortunately I can't level the same praise on Russell Crowe who I can't decide whether he phoned it in for the paycheck, or tried too hard. When it comes to comedy, Crowe is Gosling's opposite; almost entirely unfunny, even when his lines do a lot of the legwork for him. He's not a complete failure, but he looks awkward and uncomfortable more times than he doesn't. Margaret Qualley as the missing girl is also a bit of a swing and a miss. Her hysteric lunacy comes off more as a hormonal teenager shouting things she doesn't really mean, than a girl who believes fully in her claims and is determined for the world to know what she does. Thankfully there's Keith David, Matt Bomer, and Beau Knapp who more than make up for her in the supporting side of things.
I never really laugh out loud when I'm by myself, especially in the cinema, but The Nice Guys had me chuckling heartily with alarming frequency. It's not a perfect movie, not even a perfect comedy, but it's right up there amongst the best comedies, for certain. I found it hilarious, and that's all that really mattered. I give it a solid 8/10 and would recommend. -
jeremy-clay593 June 2016The Nice Guys was a movie which showed great potential. Crowe and Gosling work well together even with a dire script. The plot was at best very mediocre and many of the gags were predictable. This was a terrible let down to the film. What also didn't help was that it wasn't the clearest in terms of story lines. I will never tire of watching Crowe beat someone up but alas a great movie it does not make! The main protagonist who was being sought was also dull and to be quite frank it was one of the better parts of the movie when she got shot. The Nice Guys also tries too hard and there are echoes of such great movies like Kick Ass and Boogie Nights, which are never really pulled off in this film.
It's not the worst movie you'll ever see but in my opinion I wouldn't rush to see it again. -
rwicky1915 May 2016The Nice Guys represents the buddy movie genre at its best. Shane Black is a excellent director and a brilliant writer. He knows how to create hilarious characters and how to put them in absurd scenes — absurd in a comic way. The gags are all unexpected; I was constantly asking myself "What the hell is going on?", and then burst into laughter. The plot could seem weird at the beginning, but it's not the main point in this movie, it is only used to create a context to the jokes. People in the theater couldn't stop laughing. There is a new and original joke every two minutes. Russell Crowe plays his part very well, but Ryan Gosling's performance is already cult. All is in the look in his eyes, and that stupid expression on his face. Two stupid and impulsive men in an outrageous world full of porn stars and guns, fighting for...money. And truth, of course. Always the old truth about some kind of conspiracy (the only weakness in the movie). Hopefully, Shane Black doesn't insist too much on that and concentrates himself on the constant jokes. I guarantee you, you will laugh a lot. I know I've just watched an excellent movie when I feel sad during the credits, because it's already over. And then, it's just pure happiness.
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comps-784-382656 June 2016Nice Guys is a film you can enjoy but does not satisfy.
Crowe & Gosling are really good in their roles but I felt we needed to know more about there characters and lives.
The virtually alcoholic private investigator (Gosling) with a 13 yr old daughter. I was left puzzled : Why was he virtually alcoholic? Why did his house burn down? What happened to his wife? Why is he such a loser?
You know even less about Crowes character.
Which is a shame as they both worked well together and it makes it interesting being set in 1977
One is searching for Amelia (Gosling)
The other is paid by Amelia (Crowe) to stop people searching for her.
The first half of the film is good. Why are people searching for Amelia, including some who intend to kill her.
But for me, the second half of the film was ruined by a pretty stupid plot, which I will summarise as follows.
Amelias mother (Basinger) is head of justice department. She (Basinger) is in cahoots with car manufacturers to cover up excessive pollution from their cars.
Amelia outraged makes a 'porn film' that exposes all of this. She intends it to shown at the 1977 car expo to reveal all the dastardly dealings.
Basinger is having everyone involved in the film killed, including her daughter Amelia and all copies of the film destroyed.
I know it's pretty stupid. Which is a shame because Crowe and Gosling did such a good job.
There are plenty of laughs, you start the film with high expectations, But 'Nice Guys' doesn't know if its a comedy, a thriller or a film with a serious message. So ends up a disappointing 6.5/10 -
tannerms-0806415 November 2022This movie has a Lolita complex. Really odd. Wanted to like this movie but turned it off about halfway. Enough is enough.
From the adult film star who is roughly 15 or 16 years old, to the daughter who is probably 13 saying dirty things during the party scene, hell even to the 11 year old boy who talks dirty, this movie is really odd. The acting is fine, the script is standard Hollywood except for the placement of children throughout it. The opening scene is great and it pulls you in but the rest drags and you're left wondering wtf the writers were thinking. Where are all the parents watching stuff like this? -
kosmasp25 January 2017But very good if you are into this kind of stuff. So this is not Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Last Boy Scout, but it is a new movie by Shane Black, which is a reason to get excited about. If you like weird dialog and situations comedy that he seems to be able to write spot on, then you are in the right place.
Russel Crowe and Ryan Gosling hit the nails on their heads. Deadpan or outright funny, completely insane to just weird. One thing this is not: Predictable or tame. You only have to decide if this is your kind of movie. If your taste and the movies do either collide or are in the same ballpark. If the latter is the case, do watch it and you'll get something unique and really good. One of the Highlights of 2016 for sure -
WinterbornTM4 June 2016The Nice Guys is written and directed by Shane Black and stars Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as two detectives who try to solve a case regarding a missing girl and the death of a porn actress in Los Angeles during the 70s.
I'm a big Shane Black fan ever since my childhood, with Lethal Weapon being one of my all-time favorites. After that I followed his career, and I have to say, he is a really great writer/director. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is another great movie which he wrote and directed which some might argue it brought Robert Downey Jr. back in the center of the attention, and before the whole Marvel business started. Black is great at writing buddy comedies with crime and mystery touches and The Nice Guys is one of his best works to date.
First of all, the two main actors, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, have an amazing on-screen chemistry. Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a by-the-book though guy enforcer type who you call when want to have someone taken care of. Crowe is now over 50 in real life, his age is starting to show, but he embraces that completely in this film. He is a little overweight and some of the action scenes he pulls might not look that believable, but he is absolutely perfect in this role. Ryan Gosling took a break from the more silent type roles (Drive, Place Beyond the Bines) which were becoming a bit too much for me and instead takes a comedic turn in this movie. He has some of the funniest lines, he gets in the craziest situations and yet there's also a dark side to him, having some drinking problems and at the same time trying to raise his daughter (Angouire Rice), who is wise beyond her years.
The story itself is not the most original and unique, it doesn't really break new ground and you can solve the mystery on your own while watching the movie. As soon as one character was introduced, I immediately put the clues together. But that's okay, it doesn't really need to do all those things. We were not promised some original concept or never before seen plot, we were promised an action comedy that offers two great characters and a very clever script.
What I truly love about this movie is how simple it actually is. It's not part of a huge franchise, it's not a CGI fest, there are no superheroes, there are no flying cars, we just follow two guys trying to solve a mystery. It really goes back to the 80-90s era, when we had some great action-comedies like the Lethal Weapon franchise or Beverly Hills Cop. It's a nice breath of fresh air with some clever dialogue, noir elements, good action and two perfect stars in the main roles. The Nice Guys is a nice surprise and it deserves a 9 out of 10! -
Eddie_weinbauer30 July 2016I Really liked this movie,all the way up until shortly after the one hour mark. Than it just took a 180 turn for the worse,and ended up getting really really stupid.Which was quite annoying.
In the beginning it was funny and charming and full of good quips back and forth, between the two leads.
Some of the situations was a bit over the top,but you could live with em,cause the rest of the movie held up fine. But than comes the one hour mark,and things start going down hill. Up until now,Russel has been the smart one and Ryan was the dorky drunk guy. But than suddenly they both turn into dumb and dumber.And that just ruined it for me.After that I lost total interest in the movie. -
rickh9822 October 2016The Nice Guys glimmers towards moments of excellence, especially towards the beginning, but ultimately as the credits rolled I felt disappointed.
The first 25 minutes of the film, focused on introducing the 2 main characters, played by Ryan Gosling and a fairly wooden Russell Crowe, is hilarious. The characters are refreshingly satirical and interestingly presented, but as the film progresses the formula for each character becomes tiring: Ryan Gosling is unreliable, often drunk and a bit dainty, Russel Crowe is violent, sinister but has a much more soft and noble side. Every joke in the film is just based around these attributes. By the 1 hour mark I was getting sick of the same sort of material being reused and by the final act of the film I was considering just turning it off.
The narrative of the film is slightly confusing and hard to follow. It's basically Crowe and Gosling trying to find a missing girl and piece together the 'so called' suicide of a famous Pornstar, but because I kind of got lost towards the beginning about who was who and what was happening I found it hard to be engaged in the story. Just for the record I understand and can follow most films I watch, I genuinely think this film was abnormally difficult to follow. I also think the flow of the movie is poor, like I mentioned the first 25 minutes is brilliantly paced, with violence and humour, and then it sort of slows and jokes become less regular and less funny and the story sort of gets a bit stagnant and then they try to pick it up at the end with a big shoot out but even that was a bit hit and miss. I almost think the writer sort of ran out of ideas after the first act of the film but thought the first part was so good he might as well finish off the story.
Ryan Gosling also has questionable moments in the film: his character often overreacts in feminine ways, screaming in a high pitched voice when something surprising happens and I didn't find it funny, but he kept on doing it. It's just poor acting and really desperate writing, trying to force a laugh from a hyperbolised reaction. Another example of this is at the start of the film when Ryan Gosling's character is caught pants down in a cubicle, he slams the door which swings back round so he stands and his cigarette drops to his lap so recoils in horror and tries to close the door again but it swings back open. The first second of this was funny, but it goes on for 10 more seconds and becomes really slapstick, which just ruins the humour of the original joke. Ryan Gosling's character also has a daughter who manages to worm her way into the film and I felt like her character really wasn't needed, she sort of gets annoying and though she has a funny moment here or there, I felt like her tagging along on all the missions kind of weighs the two main characters down.
Overall, watch the first 30 minutes and turn it off, you'll only be wasting an hour of your life if you carry on watching. It's not consistently funny enough to be a god comedy, or intense enough to be a good action film, it sort of floats in the limbo of titles I will forget and probably never re-watch.
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Flippo920419 December 2020FINALLY!! A comedy that tries to tell a story! As a bonus, it gets told amazingly well. The cast was also great, but I have to say that Angourie stole the show. I enjoyed watching it, a lot actually.
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wgingery22 May 2016Throughout this film I couldn't shake the feeling that I had missed something. Watching it is like watching a long, long trailer with all the highlights, but with the explanatory scenes cut out. Shane Black, the director, seems to want to put on the screen his whole "bag of tricks" without making the effort to connect them in logical or emotional order. Watching the film becomes like thumbing through a catalog of Hollywood tropes. Black throws one thing after another on to the wall to see what sticks. (Catalog or spaghetti on the wall, which is it? That will give you an idea of how disjointed and jarring the narrative is.)
The film presents some genuinely funny moments. The problem is that they are not prepared for or followed up. In one scene (in the trailer) the two dump a body over a fence. Big laugh! But so what? We have almost no idea about the people on whose table the body is dumped. Where do they fit into Black's word? Having a body land on your patio table is a very effective metaphor of the corrupt nature of L.A., but it's immediately abandoned. I felt left in the lurch.
The director has declared that he wanted to convey, underneath the comedy, a more serious message about a corrupt world in which two knights in tarnished armor must make their way. So far, so good. The problem, again, is that he hasn't paid enough attention to establishing their backgrounds or to the development of their relationship. I felt constantly off balance and blind- sided.
Which relationship is primary: the one between the two detectives, or the one between Gosling's character and his daughter? The film can't seem to make up its mind and doesn't define either very satisfactorily. I kept comparing this film to "Paper Moon," and the latter won every time.
The director also declared that the moral objective of these knights is to protect little girls (among whom, besides Gosling's daughter, are adult female characters like Misty Mountains and Amelia). This is sentimental and patronizing. If we have learned anything since the seventies, it is that (1) women demand the right to make on their own decisions, and (2 ) that little boys and men deserve protection, too. -
Giacomo_De_Bello1 June 2016Shane Black doing what he excels at the most and doing it at the very best: "The Nice Guys" is funny, smart, action packed, violent, irreverent, thrilling and entertaining all at the same time without ever having tonal shift problems, it molds so many elements into one cohesive package that will give you a blast at the cinema and won't alienate you even with the sudden appearance of a giant talking bug in a car.
What has to be addressed immediately is the fact that if there was ever a prize for best on-screen chemistry for 2016 the race is already over, Crowe and Gosling light up the frame with an overwhelming energy, this is something we haven't seen in quite some time. Their job might be overlooked and discounted by some, but this is nothing short of genius, the way in which these two actors bring to life this story is illuminating, their timing, their banter, their personal dynamic, it is all in the brilliant script, but what the two of them do is elevate it to levels that I think not even Shane Black could have ever imagined. I mean they just had to look at each other for me to curl up laughing stupid. They don't have a false beat. And when you try to look back and think of who was better as soon as you point to one, you feel like you've made the wrong choice. Crowe's stoicism is played to perfection and when he boils up it pays off incredibly. Then there's Gosling who is recently on a roll; he was a highlight of "The Big Short" and showed comedic chops I didn't know he had, then comes this film and if there was ever any doubt of his comedic timing believe me is dead. The way he moves is enough to make you marvel and laugh at what he's doing, he has multiple moments of physical comedy that had me rolling on the floor, not to mention his witty, smart-ass dialogue that he nails.
And we aren't even halfway done with the cast yet, everybody in this film not only is cast perfectly, but kills it. Kim Basinger's casting as a callback to "L.A. Confidential" is a great choice, but then getting into the more important characters: Matt Bomer is terrifying as the cold blooded killer and it is so important to be so if you want to give the audience catharsis when the final showdown happens. It is great to see Keith David again on screen in this kind of supporting character role that he always, unequivocally shines in, he is truly one of the bests in my opinion, there isn't wrong he can do. Finally Angourie Rice is a revelation, she steels the movie from Crowe and Gosling so well it feels like this movie is about the three of them together.
Now, all of these actors get the chance to do such amazingly inspired work thanks to Shane Black. His screenplay presents us to a group of characters that are brilliantly well written and developed and tied into a plot that is absorbing and crazy. I don't know if this film is better written or directed because the two crafts combine seamlessly in this picture. There are so many moving elements and Black keeps up with all of them without ever leaving the audience behind or making them loose interest. moreover the way the setting is used is breathtaking and I mean that literally. He makes these characters move through Los Angeles and between a million easter eggs that I'm sure I missed half of, the locations give the film a whole other level of fascination, it has one of the best party scenes in recent memory. The greatness lies in the fact that story and setting feed each other and couldn't be taken apart, bringing to life a visual feast for the eyes that is grounded in story and character.
And there's still much to talk about: soundtrack, action and fight scenes, pace, cinematography, sound, all of these elements deserve a paragraph on their own. The excellence of filmaking in display here is in my opinion really remarkable. Does it have faults? Or course: it can occasionally digress into 70s visual extravaganza just for the sake of it, the plot is thrilling and all, yet come to really think of it, unfortunately, it comes apart slightly too easily, but these are all details that have to be addressed, yet they did not take away from the overall experience which is one of the funniest and most thrilling rides of the year that I cannot wait to check out again in the theater with a bunch of friend. -
dar041723 January 2020Has some good raunchy moments definitely the best buddy comedy in a while. The 70's era adds a lot to the film. Gosling is spot on with his stupid but smart mentality and Crowe plays a great tough-guy asshole perfectly. He may have been born to play that role.
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zetes28 May 2016'70s detective movie starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, directed by Kiss Kiss Bang Bang's Shane Black. It is a ton of fun. There's definitely something missing that I'm not quite able to put my finger on - it really feels like it should be an all-time classic, but ends up falling short. There's some weaknesses in the script, like Black isn't quite able to make his themes work entirely. It has so much great stuff in it, though. The two leads are ace, both giving near-career best performances. Angourie Rice is also excellent as Gosling's teenage daughter. They do fail to establish a great antagonist, though bad guys Matt Bomer, Keith David and Beau Knapp are all memorable. Others who will remain nameless aren't as good. The film is very funny, thankfully, with Crowe and Gosling bouncing off each other nicely. It is true most of the best bits were given away in the film's two trailers. If you haven't seen them, you might enjoy this even more than I did. I'd definitely recommend it either way.
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jpsimmons-720153 December 2020This movie has a few big problems that bring it down in my opinion.
My biggest problem was unnecessarily making the little girl a main character in this somewhat gritty rated r film as if this is a family Disney movie, she was just so misplaced. The time spent on her could've been used to develop the lead characters relationship more.
The second biggest problem was the lazy and flat comedy, they definitely needed better writers. The comedy often didn't fit in this movie at all which gives the film an overall confusing tone. Also, Ryan Gosling doesn't do bad but this type of role is way more up Ryan Reynolds alley and casting him instead would've likely enhanced the movie.
The third and final problem that stopped this movie from being what it could've been is the confusing plot. I wasn't quite sure how certain things came together or what anyone's motivation was in many parts of the movie.
Overall, this movie wasn't terrible but it's nothing special at all. My guess is that Warner bros. is to blame for most of these issues. -
willbecton-244-7930746 September 2016A movie-like thing masquerading as a period noir buddy cop comedy. I've read a number of reviews so far and one thing that almost everyone agrees on, even those who like the movie, is that the screenplay is a big hot mess. There is no momentum to the story, which is somehow both predictable and unfocused. As soon as Kim Bassinger's character shows up we know where this is all going but who cares anyway? The movie attempts to swerve towards the broadly comic and surreal but is not inspired enough to revel in its own fun and allow the audience to forgive the meandering and ultimately nonsensical plot for the window dressing that it is.
The characters lack sharp definition and development. Gosling and Crowe give whatever glimmer of hope there is to this movie but the material is not worthy. They may have been miscast but its almost impossible to tell due to the writing. Their characters are not very likable, consistent or distinguishable from each other(important with odd couple dynamics).
Supporting characters are not the fun colorful characters one would hope to have from such a movie. Gosling's daughter character is played by a talented young actress but unfortunately this is one of the worst elements of the movie. The child character who behaves like an adult is a cringe worthy staple of Hollywood and that is exactly what we get with in this movie. And why in a buddy cop movie are you focusing so much attention on buddy cop's 12 year old daughter? Why?? You could have a romantic interest or a fun villain but no, we get a third wheel Nancy Drew character.
From the beginning the daughter character is forced into the plot like this is a four quadrant family friendly comedy and I inwardly groaned as I realized that I was going to have to live with this decision by the screenwriters. This film has a rather bizarre obsession with children and even weaves in inappropriate porn jokes and adult situations with children in ways that I found off- putting, and I love South Park and edgy humor involving kids so that's saying something.
The movie is too scattershot and all over the place. Worst of all, its not very funny. There are maybe three moments in the movie that are chuckle worthy and they are featured in the trailer. The filmmaker has fun with the 1977 setting but this movie could have taken place in 2016 or 2026 or 2177, it doesn't matter. -
NS-movie-reviews21 November 2020It's a crying shame this movie didn't do better. This was an amazing movie filled with fashion, aesthetic, humor, a good plot, and good acting. I loved this movie. The ending could've been better. It felt mediocre compared to how great the rest of the movie was. I'll watch this one again, it's worth the second viewing. Gosling knocked it out of the park. Again, I think it's really too bad this didn't do better. It might've encouraged him to do more roles like this because he was really good at it. I hope he does something similar again anyway. Because this was really good.