Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Score: 3.0/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 116 minutes (~2 hours)
“The Nice Guys” is a mystery-comedy film about the death of a porn star. A private eye and enforcer join forces to investigate her death, and discover that her murder is part of a more sinister plot. It stars Ryan Gosling (Holland March), Russell Crowe (Jackson Healy), Angourie Rice (Holly March), Matt Bomer (John Boy), Margaret Qualley (Amelia Kutner), Murielle Telio (Misty Mountains), and Kim Basinger (Judith Kutner). It is, of course, M-18.
“The Nice Guys” is an ambitious attempt to cover many genres and elements in a movie, but it misses its target so badly. To make matters worse, its done in a semi-noir style, which adds complexity to an already confusing behemoth. It’s pleasant, but you wouldn’t call it a nice film.
Highlights
Arresting opening
The movie has one of the most engaging openings in films, grabbing your attention even before the opening credits finish. It’s a combination of interesting subject matter and an unexpected development, and raises your expectations for the rest of the film. Unfortunately, the rest of “The Nice Guys” is not quite as arresting as the opening scenes.
Holly March is entertaining and charming
Holly (Angourie March) is a spunky young girl who’s both resourceful and endearing. She’s responsible for a good deal of the successes that the protagonists encounter, and is worth much, if not more, than the two male leads (in terms of investigative prowess). She’s definitely still a kid, but she exhibits all the advantages of being a child while somehow avoiding the irritating aspects of being so young.
Letdowns
The plot meanders and staggers around
It’s a murder mystery, so there has to be a lot of misinformation or ignorance on the part of the protagonists. Unfortunately, this lack of information also extends to the audience, which means you don’t really know where the plot is headed at times. It has poor exposition that is ill-timed and irregularly parsed out. The movie lumbers around from one event to another, and feel even more confused than a drunk Holland March (Ryan Gosling).
Ryan Gosling is not that funny
Sadly, Ryan Gosling can’t do comedy. His physical ineptitude is played for laughs but it doesn’t work since he just looks like a bumbling oaf. His clumsiness doesn’t suit his physique, and his girly cries of pain only diminish your impression of him. He ends up failing both as a comedian and as a hero, making you wonder what was the point of including him in the story.
Inconsistent tone
The film is a mixed bag of genres. There’s comedy, mystery, investigation, crime, action, intrigue, politics, and it’s too much to blend together into a coherent whole. Just like with its plot, “The Nice Guys” blunders into different genres at different times, and you never know what to expect next. The unexpected results in bewilderment more than surprise.
“The Nice Guys” isn’t that nice, and will leave you scratching your head.
“The Nice Guys” opens in cinemas 19 May, 2016 (Thursday).
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