Movie Review - The Nice Guys Runs Riot on the 1970s

Detectives and Los Angeles really seem to go together. Raymond Chandler went to this well repeatedly with his Philip Marlowe novels, James Ellroy made a solid mark in the genre, and so did Ross McDonald. Let's not forget the countless film noirs that are set in the land of near-constant sunshine. Shane Black's The Nice Guys is the latest addition to this memorable storytelling line.

Only, it's different.

If these three look nice, don't be fooled.

In short, the film is a riot. Disco-era Los Angeles becomes a playground infested by clueless detectives and an overabundance of illegal activities. The opening tells you all you need to know. A boy fresh off plundering an adult magazine from his parents' room strolls down the hallway to take it in. Then, BAM! a car comes crashing through the house, startling the boy. Who was in the car? None other than the woman (Murielle Telio) featured in the magazine.

Mr. Black gives no one peace. Private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and beatdown-specialist investigator Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), the titular "nice guys," do more to aid the chaotic scenes than alleviate them. They are helped by the March's determined teenage daughter (Angourie Rice). The resultant trio is offbeat and ridiculous. A perfect breeding ground for the film's numerous gags. It doesn't hurt that all three leads could not have played their parts any better. Gosling deserves special praise for bringing life to the clueless idiot his character happens to be. His chemistry with Crowe is, to some degree, evocative of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Rice takes on the Dorothy Lamour position in the sense that she helps bring balance between the two male leads.

These two have the makings of a solid comedy duo.

The writing and the directing are tight and lean. Everything put into the final cut belongs. There are no extraneous elements or self-gratuitous movie lengthening scenes. Stuff that seems meaningless at first sneaks back in later on and provides a solid pay-off. The lines and the gags, as I have already mentioned, are brilliant. Also, Black's directorial style fits perfectly with his stars. The understatement and irony in his shots elicits a comedic tone when you least expect it.

Mixed into the rampant chaos, of course, is a solid story. Holland March's and Jackson Healy's journey is about redemption. They both have experienced loss and both learn to move forward in their lives. For March, part of his growth is bonding with his mischievous daughter, Holly, albeit in an unconventional manner. The strong story is essential, as it provides structure and substance for the gags, which allows them to work at maximum effectiveness.

Los Angeles, the land of sun and neat detective stories.

Last but not least, the film's 1970s nostalgia comes through solidly. The music is well-chosen and the movie references are excellently timed. Also, making an adult film reel into a MacGuffin is an interesting choice.

Yes, the film is vulgar. However, if you're old enough, the humor is nothing short of hilarious. The Nice Guys may very well be the best comedy of the year.

The Star Wars Craze

If social media is an indication of what's going on with our society, then there is an epidemic going around. It's not necessarily deadly, unless people have gotten overzealous with their imaginations, and it's nothing that should concern a doctor, except maybe the amateur psychologist I'm sure everyone knows. More than anything, it's annoying...and it's everywhere--the Star Wars Craze.

Big celebrities these days.

Advertisement after advertisement, even highly unrelated ones, added to this malady. Instagram post after Instagram post feature Star Wars costumes and themes. Not to mention, your countless memes. For someone who chooses to remain level-headed and intelligent about the new update on what has become a cultural phenomenon, this is extremely bothersome. A massive number of people have bought into the marketing campaign set forth by Disney, who has a big stock in making sure this operation is promoted to every possible wallet. They've created an army with only one thing on its collective mind: Star Wars. To some, those two little words mean nostalgia. A little mental trip back to 1977, when hippies were still in style and dads like Red Forman were left dumbfounded by there children's behavior.

This says it all.

Of course, not everyone was around during those days. I certainly wasn't. However, the craze was inherited by following generations. Whether that was by parental prodding or curiosity over what the hell is the big deal will probably differ in each case. Whatever the reason, George Lucas managed to create a pop culture staple. Disney, the blood-sniffing money oriented shark of a studio, felt it was time to throw its hat into this influential and profitable ring. Also, they decided to make Lucas, already a billionaire, four billion dollars richer. While he's on easy street, Disney has to do all the work. So what do they do? Promote it more than any movie has ever been promoted and make sure it has the widest release (the most screens) in history (much to the chagrin of Quentin Tarantino). Also, they decided to throw in lots of kids' books, dime novelizations, animated TV shows, and whatever else they could think of. No wonder the cost to market Episode 7 was more than the actual cost of producing the movie. 

Old meets the new.

By doing this, Disney has succeeded massively in creating battalions of wallet owners who will march, like storm troopers, to the theaters. Ex-hippies, ex-hipsters, and ex-diaper dandies (meaning people of all ages) will drop loads of money into Disney's imperial coffers. These movies are probably the surest-fire profit makers Hollywood has ever seen. 

The masters of marketing and making back all of their money.

As one of those who's managed to stay free of this disease, I will hold judgement on the merits of the movie until I actually see it. The last time someone tried to add onto the series ended in disastrous but sadly profitable results.