‘Nice Guys’ don’t always finish last

CROWE AND GOSLING. New comic tandem to beat.

YOU WON’T find anything quirkier and more inventive at the movies this week than Shane Black’s briskly paced comedic thriller, “The Nice Guys,” starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, in their first screen tandem.

Neither actor is known for his comic chops, but armed with their onscreen affability and refreshing chemistry, Gosling and Crowe hit the ground running and work their way up to the heart of the movie’s storytelling mayhem:

The film follows a mismatched pair of private eyes, Holland March (Gosling) and Jackson Healy (Crowe)—who team up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide of porn star Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio).

They soon find out that Misty is connected with the disappearance of a Justice Department hotshot’s (Kim Basinger) rebellious teenage daughter, Amelia (Margaret Qualley).

—Too convoluted? Well, the story does get more eventful, but not necessarily murkier. Black manages to coherently string the movie’s intersecting plotlines with flair, panache and tongue-in-cheek humor.

No spoilers here, but suffice it to say that Healy and March often find themselves pursuing one red herring after another. But, in this case, that isn’t a bad thing, because Black’s inventive storytelling tack keeps viewers off-guard—and on the edge of their seats!

The film cleverly mines its dark themes by employing situational comedy that allows Crowe and Gosling to utilize their thespic skill set and improvisational ability to antic advantage.

Without acting up a storm, Crowe shows that there’s more to Healy than his cranky, tough-guy demeanor.

Versatility

If you admire Gosling for the dramatic perspicacity, sensitivity and versatility he has shown in his previous films, you’ll love him even more when you see him acing the difficult-to-pull-off physical comedy scenes he’s tasked to “sell” here—he executes them with flying colors!

Gosling plays his beleaguered character as a well-meaning but occasionally clumsy detective who loves his inquisitive teenage daughter (the adorable Angourie Rice) to bits! The acting risks he takes are no walk in the park, but the results are affably and instructively disarming.

More than the amusing banter Gosling shares with the perfectly cast Crowe, the film grows on you because its lead actors work hard to “connect” with each other. They don’t allow their egos to get in the way of characterization.

To demonstrate, Ryan has a rip-roaring sequence (involving a corpse) that recalls Dolphy’s laugh-out-loud comedic style and crutch.

The world Healy and March inhabit may not be a safe place for good people—but, the heart-warming relationship that Crowe’s character forges with Gosling’s precocious daughter movingly demonstrates that it is our meaningful relationships with the people we love that make life worth living.

They don’t always win their battles, but they nonetheless prove that nice guys don’t always finish last!