Instant classic!

Rating: Null/10 (23 May 2016)

If I had to pick my favorite screenwriter of all time, I would probably have to pick Shane Black. Despite not being nearly as prolific as he once was, every time a new Shane Black penned film rolls around, it's always a treat. The trailer for The Nice Guys made me hopeful that the film would be the kind of comedic action flick that used to be made in the 1980s and 1990s, one where the plot actually mattered. As it turns out, while the very action-heavy trailer for the film is somewhat misleading, The Nice Guys is still not only a great surprise, but also my favorite movie of the past decade.
Those expecting non-stop gunfire and constant jokes may be disappointed by the fact that The Nice Guys is, first and foremost, a period piece mystery. Set in 1977, the story follows hard-drinking private detective Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hard enforcer Jackson Healey (Russell Crowe in his most entertaining performance ever) as they try to find Amelia Kutner, a missing young woman who may be in way over her head. This may sound like a plot that would be full of clichÃ©s, predictable story beats, and characters that have been seen over and over again. While it's true that The Nice Guys does lean on a few staples of the genre, it's also consistently surprising, completely fascinating, and even unexpectedly touching in a few places. This being a Shane Black film, there's still plenty of hilarious lines and comedic elements, but it's a bit less jokey and quip-filled than a lot of his previous work. The story and the characters come first here. When the occasional action scene does happen, it feels purposeful rather than just thrown in to be cool or keep the audiences' attention. Black's direction in these scenes is better than ever, as the shoot-out that concludes the film is the most entertaining action scene I've seen in at least five years.
The biggest surprise for me is how great Crowe and Gosling are together. I've never loved or hated either one of them, as I've always been kind of indifferent to their respective careers. But here, Gosling and Crowe are absolutely perfect in their roles. Funny, sad, mysterious, and cool at times, both their characters are ones that are great to spend the entire screen time with, even when they aren't necessarily, as the title puts it, nice guys. They are insanely well written, damaged, and completely compelling characters throughout every scene. In supporting roles, Kim Basinger, Matt Bomer, and newcomer Angourie Rice shine in parts that could have been stock characters. Every person in this movies so amazingly good that it's hard to pick a favorite.
If there's one flaw in The Nice Guys, it's that the very end, while totally in line with the type of story being told, is a minor letdown. The ending is an appropriate one for the film, but it could have used a bit of punching up. The ending leaves things open for a sequel, one which will never happen due to the low opening weekend numbers. There's no movie I would rather see than The Nice Guys 2. The characters lend themselves to the possibility of a great franchise.
I can't overstate what a blast The Nice Guys is to me as a movie fan. I won't go as far as to call it flawless, but it is as close to perfect of a film as I'm likely to see the rest of 2016. I loved almost every second of it, and would gladly sit through a longer cut in a heartbeat. The Nice Guys is an instant classic, one that I will definitely be watching over and over again. Highly recommended. 9/10