The Nice Guys

Holly: Dad, there are whores here and stuff.
March: Don't say, 'And stuff.' Just say, 'Dad, there are whores here.'

I have to begin by saying I have been waiting for this movie since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang came out. Another pulp detective buddy comedy from Shane Black? Yes, please! And I was not disappointed. The Nice Guys is a smart comedy with great characters and an interesting mystery. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is an amoral screwup alcohol who rips off the elderly and neglects his daughter but does it all with such charm that we love him anyway. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) is hired gun with a very tarnished heart of gold who will call a scared woman out on being seven dollars short of his fee but longs to make a positive difference in the world. Initially on opposing sides of the case, they are thrown together in investigating the disappearance of a girl named Amelia (Margaret Qualley) who is inexplicably linked to the death of porn star Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio). But as they dig deeper into the case, they uncover a conspiracy larger than they ever imagined.

Black has an inimitable sense of humor that keeps up a playful banter through the film, often making fun of detective and action tropes while the characters return to the same subjects in attempts to make their own misguided points. Everything about it as wonderfully flawed and ridiculous as humans are. Each gets distracted from their goals in their own way and is spurred on by unique motives. But even with the jokes, distractions and general incompetence, they use real detective work to solve the case. To say too much about it would spoil the fun and it's best to have a thick skin when watching because there is ample swearing and nudity, but this a a movie well worth seeing especially if you enjoy pulp detective fiction. I can't wait to add it to my DVD shelf.