Surprisingly enjoyable

Rating: 7/10 (2 June 2016)

This is the kind of movie I generally do not appreciate, but I was honestly surprised that I enjoyed it. Although it is a crime film, it is also tied nicely with a comedic atmosphere. The film is able to balance both the serious scenes with the funny ones, and it pays off.
Gosling does a superb job with his character. While being both the smart one and the goofy one, his antics, behavior and lines are just so hilarious. Quite a few of his actions are *slap hand in face* worthy, and that's what makes it funny at times. Without a doubt, Gosling carries the film.
At the beginning, I was not a big fan of Crowe's character. He play a tough guy who uses fists first, talk later. But after some time I grew to tolerate him. He does have some character development, mostly due to Holly, and I could go either way with that. We aren't given a lot into the other characters' background, but it works for this film.
As mentioned, the subject matter of the film is one I do not generally enjoy. What with the swearing, prostitutes, pornography sounds, and the like. However, it is not explicit at all, save for one nude woman in the beginning (which was censored in my country), and the swearing. For a movie of this type, I would say it is one of the more tamed ones in terms of what they show.
Set in the 70's, the mise-en-scene does a great job at bringing alive the era. As well, the story is engaging and fun. However, I am a little surprised that there isn't a romantic line in the film. Having said that, there is also not much of a female counterpart to the protagonists, in the sense that there is no presence of strong female characters. Amelia and Holly do portray that hardiness, and have quite a lot of screen time, however, the fact that they are young girls is a little concerning. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but if I had to say who the four main characters in the film are, it would be: March, Healy, Holly, and Amelia. Two middle-aged men, and two teenage girls. Think of that what you will.