The Nice Guys (2016)

"The Nice Guys" stars Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, and Margaret Qualley. Released on May 20, 2016, the film is about two detectives who team up to investigate the mysterious death of a female porn star.

The film is directed by Shane Black, who also directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3.  I would have gotten to this one sooner, but I got my hands full on my responsibilities, so…better late than never, I guess.  The first time I heard of Shane Black was from Iron Man 3 back in 2013, which I thought was an entertaining continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  His third feature film as a writer and director takes us back to the year 1977, a year filled with violence, drugs, and sex.  I wasn't sure what to expect in this film.  It has a pair of detectives working together to solve a mystery.  It's a pretty simple premise, but I was really surprised by how it turned out.

Pros:
Great performances throughout.

Crowe and Gosling have great chemistry together.

The 70s vibe is remarkably directed.

The humor is unexpected and hilarious.

The story has enough intrigue to make the mystery worth getting into.

Good screenplay.

Cons:
The film has a couple of buddy comedy cliches.

A bit slow, but not by much.

Final thoughts: "The Nice Guys" can be a bit misleading based on the title alone, but it has a lot of nice things to compensate.  With its tremendous chemistry between the two main actors, its slick 70s vibe, and Shane Black's balance between action, comedy, and mystery, the film is an unexpected surprise for me.  I wasn't expecting this film to be great, but I surprisingly had a good time with Black's latest outing and I'm hoping to see more films from him very soon.  If you're a fan of Black's filmography, this is right up your alley.  

A-