The Nice Guys (2016)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  9 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: All the best comedies have more layers than first meet the eye, but Shane Black's 'The Nice Guys' brings the bones of a good film even further forward to deliver something more engaging than most serious dramas. Yes, surprisingly for this comedic writer-director, this film is so intelligent and emotionally aware that it didn't even need to be a comedy at all, yet that very merit is what makes the laughs and action even more charming. He takes a well-intended and emotionally investing story about some very opposing and layered characters going on an adventure together and has a lot of fun with it in a way that's somewhat comparable to a Banksy painting; a great piece of work but one that's been messed around with in a humorous and intelligent way to deliver something more standout and hard-hitting than its brilliant original skeleton.
  None of that balancing act would have worked though if the execution wasn't so great, and for that we can thank a more seasoned directorial hand in Shane Black who delivers the serious moments and laughs with expert judgement, as well as some expectedly excellent performances where Crowe and Gosling (as well at Angourie Rice) play off the witty script brilliantly and build meaningful characters to hook us in. As a result, 'The Nice Guys' will engage you, make you think, make you laugh, make you smile and may even make you cry, and you can't really ask for much more from a film than that.
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Maybe the adventure plot is a little convoluted, but when the charter stuff and the laughs are so successful, you don't really care.
  VERDICT: This is not only one of the best movies of 2016, it's also one of my favourite comedies of recent years, and is definitely Shane Black's best work yet. 'The Nice Guys' sure is funny, but surprisingly, it's also a whole lot more.

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