☆ ☆ ☆
The Nice Guys (2016) – S. Black
Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling try their hands
at slapstick comedy to varying degrees of success in this buddy action flick
that attempts to bring us back to the glory days of the ‘70s P. I. flick. Director Shane Black (best known as a screenwriter
for Lethal Weapon and similar) isn’t afraid to toss in some violence and sex but
somehow the film doesn’t get too tawdry.
This might be due to the presence of Angourie Rice, who plays P. I.
Gosling’s 13-year-old daughter, plain-talking and ready to help solve the
crime/find the missing girl. Crowe and
Gosling stay in character well (brusque with a soft heart and definitely loopy,
respectively) but the plot doesn’t really build much suspense. Kim Basinger shows up relatively late as a
villain to tie everything together but the plot isn’t really the point, I
guess. Instead, we are encouraged to
revel in the period detail and overall pastiche. But aside from the bright spark offered by
Rice (and some of Gosling’s shenanigans), the film felt a bit flat. Perhaps it could be shorter and tighter. So, I wouldn’t necessarily seek it out, but if
you are looking for something brainless…
No comments:
Post a Comment