#11: The Nice Guys

The Nice Guys is a modern take on the classic buddy comedies of decades past. Buoyed by an unlikely but extremely talented comedy duo, the witty banter makes the film my favorite comedy of all time.

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling play extraordinarily bad detectives Jackson Healy and Holland March. While neither traditionally have comedic roles, both get to flex comedic muscles in the film. The hilarity that ensues is a product of their skills, which carry the film through the occasional flat joke and a bit of a muddled climax.

As comedies go, the roles are fairly formulaic. Gosling's March bumbles his way through investigations and falls down hills, providing a large part of the slapstick and physical comedy. Meanwhile Crowe plays the straight man, and as a combo they form a classic duo straight out of an 80's comedy. But the character development goes deeper. Each has his own background, which leads to the introduction of themes like loss and self-doubt.

Meanwhile, Shane Black's directing, and especially his writing back the duo with witty and inventive dialogue reminiscent of Black's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. On top of the high-quality dialogue, The Nice Guys has a surprisingly good plotline, enough so to keep the viewer interested even in between comedic setpieces.

In no way is The Nice Guys a masterpiece, or some ingenious new inventive comedy. Instead, it takes an old formula, and comes close to perfecting it. The result is an extremely enjoyable comedy for the ages.