The Nice Guys (2016), R, ★★★

Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe.

Buddy comedies lately have become tiresome: Ride Along 2, Bad Grandpa & Zealander 2. Get the gist of this trend. All right. This is another buddy comedy out this weekend with Neighbors 2 but I do not count it as a buddy comedy because it's really 3 people against a sorority but Zac Efron's and Seth Rogen's rapport is a highlight of that movie. The saving grace of this quirky 1970's movie is Ryan Gosling's and Russell Crowe's hilarious comedic chemistry that regardless of its plot, you just want to be entertained by their exchanges and misfits. They are the funniest duo of the year so far.

Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) plays a messenger who is a job-for-hire to take care of things "the easy way" and is pretty much available to take care of things regarding bats, fists and guns. When Amelia (Margaret Qualley), a mysterious woman in a yellow dress, appears to hire Jackson to dissuade a private investigator named Holland March (Ryan Gosling), a private eye detective who is boozed most of the time. Jackson and Holland have a talk and the conversation ends with Jackson snapping Holland's left forearm.

They both team up to find Amelia who is involved in a porno activist movie that centralizes Detroit automotive businessmen exposing the polluted air than spending money on their business. However, the chase is on since the movie cannot be shown and most of the movie, a hitman named John Boy (Matt Bomer) pursues the duo with Holland's daughter, Holly (Angourie Rice), tagging along with the duo despite the efforts to leave her at home where it is safe.

Gosling's character and his daughter. 

This movie delivers exactly what I expected: a violent buddy comedy that is particularly on par with the 1970s ambiance of what the era embodies - people that are inhibited with use of drugs, sex and glamour. But, the movie primarily focuses on the two characters and what is so refreshing is that they are both not perfect. They are vulnerable alcoholics that take care or want to take care of business. And, they are made for each other in a very unique way especially when you hear the dialogue between them. This movie reminded me of Boogie Nights and a bit of L.A. Confidential in which the style of the 70s really captures the essence of how corrupt and secretive characters are.

Gosling is perfect in this role as he plays a different character who wants to take care of the mysterious situation but has to lay back to resolve the problem-at-hand by whining, crying or taking care of his bloodied hand. He's on point with comedies. Crowe is a perfect match for Gosling's character as he plays a tough character. Matt Bomer is funny as the hitman, Kim Basinger is in the movie as the government official, David Keith is good but the scene-stealing performance belongs to Angourie Rice. She is on point with Gosling and Crowe for the ride and I think she'll potentially become a great actress in the near-future.

But, you can feel Shane Black's, the writer and the director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (an underrated but very good movie), style within the dialogue, the violent action and the quirky characters. My criticism is sometimes he pushes the envelope so hard that the violence becomes a distasteful and not implied to be funny. There is a subplot regarding Holly's friend that felt unnecessary. However, the production design and neon cinematography surrounding the 1970s is a perfect fit for Black's style that the chemistry between Gosling and Crowe takes over the movie and we're in for the ride. Isn't it weird, though, that this is the first movie of Black's that does not take place during Christmas?

***