Hits and misses throughout, but a fantastic lead pairing.

Rating: 6/10 (27 May 2016)

Set in the late 70s and based around a string of suspicious deaths within the porno industry, this Shane Black joint lovingly harks back to the good ol' days of ultra-violent buddy-cop flicks like Lethal Weapon and 48 Hrs. With this breed of movie almost extinct, it's gratifying to see Black breathe life back into it with his trademark dark wit, genre-subverting style and willingness to unleash a spot of sudden violence for nervous laughs. Crucially, he's aided and abetted by charming lead performances from Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, the former a gravel-voiced, hard-nosed enforcer with a noir-ish edge, and the latter a likable loser with dubious parenting skills but a sympathetic past. Crowe and Gosling are the epitome of chalk and cheese, and are all the more delightful to watch because of it; some of the film's finest scenes are nothing more than them chewing the fat about life, albeit their warped life. Unfortunately it's not all rosy for Black's trip down memory lane though. The central mystery is convoluted, boring and ultimately a damp squib, whilst the numerous tangential subplots, infused with pitch-black comedy, often go nowhere, despite lengthy build-ups. On first viewing it's difficult to grasp exactly how entertaining The Nice Guys really is, such are the typical ups and downs of Black's distinctive writing/directing style. Cult classic status potentially awaits, but so does cinematic obscurity.