The Nice Guys

Ah, the 1970’s. Flared suits, moustaches, awesome music… I’m not talking about the 1970s of my youth, oh no. For a start I was only born in ’79, so my own personal 1970s would have mostly involved milk, Sudocrem, and badly knitted babygros (knitted – ffs). No, I’m talking about the 1970’s America that Hollywood created with films like Dazed and Confused, American Hustle, and Boogie Nights. Films where men had swagger, and women had pointy ‘70s tits. A world where everyone smoked, and no one wore a seatbelt. Well, that’s where we’re headed this month, so un-buckle up as we meet the Nice Guys.

Ryan Gosling plays Holland March, a licensed P.I and single father hired to investigate the apparent suicide of adult film star Misty Mountains. In doing so, his path crosses unlicensed P.I Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) who, as March discovers, isn’t afraid to break a few rules, or arms, to get what he wants. And what he wants is to find Amelia (Margaret Qualley) who could hold the answers to the untimely demise, and much more besides. Enemies become begrudging friends, as they team up, and hilarity ensues. And it looks very funny. The dialogue is fast, tight and slick, not just between the two private dicks, but also from March’s daughter Holly (Angourie Rice), whose ‘little adult’ attitude is reminiscent of Wes Anderson movies, and frequently steals the scene from Crowe and Gosling. Rice is someone to keep an eye on in the future.