Gosling and Crowe are such a power couple
The Nice Guys is, by far, one of the best movies of 2016. With cast members such as Ryan Gosling, Matt Bomer, and Russell Crowe, The Nice Guys features incredible acting, top tier comedy, and heart-pounding action. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a private investigator whose real talent lies in billing clients without actually getting the job done. Russell Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a tough guy who gets paid for beating people up. These two cross paths first when Healy is paid by a girl named Amelia to get March off her back. However, the two soon realize that Amelia is in danger when they find out that someone has hired a bunch of thugs to kill her. Now, it is up to them to track Amelia down, save her, and take down whoever is threatening her life. With crazy plot twists and turns, the two find themselves going down a mysterious and dangerous rabbit hole that they soon wish they never fell into.
The Nice Guys is surprisingly, extremely funny movie an interesting plot to it. It is important to note that initially, the plot seemed to make little sense. The story jumped from one scene to another, very different scene, with little explanation to it. Upon first impression, it felt like one of those movies that relies heavily on the acting and has little plot to back it up. However, as you dig deeper and deeper into the film, the pieces start to connect and you find yourself becoming more attached to the characters and to the film itself. And what’s even more interesting is how the overlying plot of the film, which can be seen as serious and somewhat dark, is portrayed with a heavy comedic hand. Gosling takes his character, who is very self-centered and somewhat surface level, and elevates it into a character with depth and value. For any other actor, taking this character and running with it the way that Gosling did would be next to impossible. And with a lot of the comedic value stemming from physical comedy and goofiness, it was especially funny to see two actors, who have played very serious characters before, try to (and successfully) land these jokes. Action comedies with mismatched partners seems to be a commonality right now but The Nice Guys takes this concept and really pushes the envelope. Gosling and Crowe seem to balance each other out very nicely. Also, what is even more commendable about this movie is how the comedy does not take away from the plot. In fact, the plot and comedy are intertwined and become one in the same towards the end which is something that is extremely hard for comedy movies to accomplish. And with the addition of action to this film is a nice touch because it gives a bit of diversity to what the viewer gets from this movie. The action, which is done very well, prevents this film from being one note and gives it a little depth.
Overall, The Nice Guys is a film that you must see. It’s one of those movies that is very unique and fresh, something that is very lacking with movies today. The film comes out May 20 so be sure to check it out.
Kelis was inspired by THE NICE GUYS to curate a dinner featuring a menu of dishes that were popular in the 70’s including meatloaf and shrimp cocktails. Celeb guests included Shaun Ross, Billie Woodruff and more.
