It’s not “LA Confidential”, but “The Nice Guys” is smart, funny and a treat to watch. Detective movies have been around for a very long time that it’s bracing to still find one with the smarts to laugh at itself, not to mention the 1970’s recreation that is so remarkably good, from costuming to the inviting atmosphere. Director Shane Black has covered familiar territory before in the 2005 movie “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (a massively underrated film in my opinion), but he has managed to win me over once again here. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe play a pair of detectives investigating the disappearance of a female porn star. Since Shane Black wrote screenplays for such movies as “Lethal Weapon” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight” back in the 90’s, you can expect a lot of fast-paced scenes and tons of outrageous jokes. And while the jokes are hit and miss, the movie does get a fair share of laughs, starting with the two leads. Crowe and Gosling have chemistry, and they keep you hanging and laughing, even when the plot stops making sense at one point. You won’t get more from “The Nice Guys”, just enough to keep you entertained and make you leave the theater with a silly grin on your face. Allow it.
Rating: 3/4


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