Jack’s review published on Letterboxd:
“You took the Lord’s name in vain.”
“No I didn’t, Janet. I found it very useful actually.”
I watched The Nice Guys nearly 7 years ago, and remember liking it but not much else - so I was pleasantly surprised at just how funny it is upon second viewing. The Nice Guys is an underrated gem (outside the Letterboxd bubble at least).
Russell Crowe plays the straight man well in The Nice Guys, but it is Ryan Gosling who steals the show. Gosling is laugh out loud hilarious in this film and I’m baffled that he doesn’t do more comedic work. Between his shrill screams, his one-liners and his physical comedy (there’s a scene where he wheezes in fear/shock and it’s my favourite in the film) - Gosling is incredible in The Nice Guys. I cannot wait to see him in Barbie this year where he’ll hopefully get to flex his comedic muscles once again.
Gosling is spectacular, but wouldn’t be able to shine as much if he didn’t have the electric chemistry he has with Russell Crowe, so it’s very much a double act.
The Nice Guys is the type of comedy they don’t make much anymore, a highly stylised noir-inspired detective mystery, and it’s a shame. However, the film isn’t perfect; it loses some points in my book due to the plot itself which loses steam about 3/4 of the way in. I can’t quite put my finger on what exact moment the momentum slows in this film, but I found myself growing impatient near the close of movie. I’d argue that The Nice Guys would be much better if trimmed by 15/20 minutes.
All in all though, The Nice Guys is a star vehicle for Ryan Gosling and a stellar genre comedy. Definitely recommend giving this one a go if you missed it in 2016.
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