The Nice Guys Review (Second Sight)
Second Sight is quickly becoming one of the most reliable distributors of collector’s editions of cult films, offering lovingly overseen restorations and beautifully designed packaging. Best known for its focus on horror, The Nice Guys might seem like an odd choice for their catalogue, but then, few modern directors have left as distinct a mark on genre cinema as Shane Black.
Black almost single-handedly reinvented the buddy movie with his script for Lethal Weapon, and his authorial voice is so distinctive, particularly his dialogue, that it’s easy to forget that he didn’t actually start directing until Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. From The Last Boy Scout to The Long Kiss Goodnight, his signature writing style is so clear in all of his screenplays that it often feels like he is more responsible for the film’s success than the respective directors.
Superficially, The Nice Guys follows a familiar Black formula; in 1977 Los Angeles, two mismatched outsiders – Holland March (Ryan Gosling), a hapless private investigator, and Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), a gruff enforcer-for-hire, forces to find a missing young woman, Amelia Kutner (a pre-fame Margaret Qualley). Soon, the two men, and March’s wise-beyond-her-years daughter Holly (Angourie Rice) are inexorably drawn into a labyrinthine conspiracy involving pornography, environmental corruption, and hired assassins.
What sets The Nice Guys apart from Black’s earlier work is the vivid sense of time and place. The score by John Ottman and David Buckley does a lot of heavy lifting here, immediately placing the film in the 1970s, and Black really leans into the film’s neon-drenched noir aesthetic; from the costumes to the smog-choked skyline and gaudy interior design. It’s not just a backdrop – the setting gives the film a distinct noir-flavoured identity and is essential to the narrative – even the smog is there for a reason.
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There’s a timelessness to period-set comedy that means it ages better than something with a more contemporary setting – even so, Black can’t help himself, tossing in a Waltons reference that will likely baffle younger viewers. Nonetheless, the setting grounds the film in a world of sleaze and post-Watergate disillusionment that is ever-present, even in the film’s lighter moments, and calls to mind the cynicism of films like Night Moves, The Long Goodbye and even Three Days Of The Condor.
Ryan Gosling has since demonstrated both his dramatic and comic sides in La La Land and Barbie, but I don’t think he’s ever been better than he is here. On the commentary for this release, Black commends Gosling for his lack of vanity and his disinterest in his own branding in this performance, playing a character who is craven, cowardly, deceitful and a poor parent, yet somehow still lovable. His physical comedy is impeccable – his introduction, where he breaks a pane of glass and immediately cuts his hand, is hilariously timed, and his various prat-falls and little moments of business are perfectly choreographed. Beneath the slapstick, though, is a quiet melancholy that adds real emotional weight to the film. Black wisely lets Gosling convey March’s self-loathing and sadness through subtle reactions rather than exposition-heavy monologues.
Russell Crowe is similarly great, playing a much more recognisable Shane Black protagonist: the tough, jaded hired muscle with his own moral code. His unlikely bond with Holly provides some of the film’s most unexpectedly touching moments, immediately making him more humane than his job suggests. He effectively plays the straight man to Gosling, but brings beautifully observed mannerisms, including a stellar bit of drunk acting in the final scene. Both actors clearly relish the opportunity to show off their comedy chops, but neither shy away from the darker side of their characters either. Their onscreen chemistry is abrasive but weirdly wholesome, and their mutual arc feels earned. It’s not for nothing that Crowe has said this is the one film he would return to for a sequel.
Angourie Rice more than holds her own against the two leads, delivering a performance that is clever, grounded, and genuinely affecting. Kim Basinger reunites with Crowe for the first time since L.A. Confidential, lending a cool, calculated ambiguity to her role as an icy government figure. The film also boasts the strongest set of villains in any Black film. Played with relish by the likes of Keith David, Beau Knapp and Matt Bomer, they are as verbose and self-aware as you might expect, but also nuanced and infused with real personality.
This remaster from Second Sight, featuring Dolby Vision, gives the film a visual clarity it’s never had before. One particularly memorable visual gag involving a corpse illuminated by a lighter plays so much better with the heightened contrast. This release comes with numerous new special features, including audio commentary from Black and co-writer Anthony Bagarozzi, several interviews and featurettes, as well as the extras carried over from the previous release.
The Nice Guys may follow the familiar Shane Black formula – mismatched leads, razor-sharp dialogue, a father-daughter dynamic, and a curious mix of cynicism and sincerity – but it refines those elements into something more emotionally resonant than his earlier work. It’s arguably Black’s most entertaining and fully realised film, and this release is the definitive edition of a film that could make a strong case for being the best buddy movie of the 21st century.
The Nice Guys is out on Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray from 16 June / Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Angourie Rice / Dir: Shane Black / Second Sight, Icon Film Distribution / 18
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