THE NICE GUYS - film review

THE NICE GUYS
Director: Shane Black
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Angourie Rice, Margaret Qualley, Kim Basinger, Matt Bomer

Synopsis (written by @onecriticalgeek): Set against the backdrop of 1977 Los Angeles, THE NICE GUYS opens when a single father and licensed PI Holland March (Gosling) is hired to investigate the apparent suicide of famous porn star Misty Mountains. As the trail leads him to track down a girl named Amelia (Qualley), he encounters  less licensed and less hands-off private eye Jackson Healey (Crowe) and his brass knuckles. However, the situation takes a turn for the worse when Amelia vanishes and it becomes apparent that March wasn't the only party interested. As both men are forced to team up, they'll have to take on a world filled with eccentric goons, strippers dressed as mermaids and even a possible government conspiracy. 

Well folks, I spent a gloroius 2 weeks away gallivanting around Hong Kong for a dancing competition with my studio and whilst I had a glorious time, it did mean that the only films I saw were movies on the plane. I managed to catch 45 YEARS (really good, you should definitely see it), REGRESSION (terrible, don't bother), HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS (really cute, do it) and ROOM (incredible). I was pretty wrapped with how I went at the competition, and while I was in Hong Kong I also managed to get to Disneyland and Macau as well as general wandering through Hong Kong and plenty of shopping!

Some shots from our dancing competition

A little collage of my day in Macau

I got to meet some pretty great characters at the happiest place on earth!

I got back into the country late Saturday night, just in time to celebrate the second anniversary of my 29th birthday with my bestie, her boys and the most glorious pink party cat cake decorated by said bestie.

Party cat cake complete with party cat Lego and Disney princess plates 

 
But after two weeks without cinema, I was glad to get back to it on Monday when I took myself out to see THE NICE GUYS with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Set in the 70s it revolves around a licensed PI, Gosling, who knows your case is a crock, but takes your money anyway because he's got a daughter to provide for (Angourie Rice) and a not so licensed "PI" (muscle for hire), Crowe, the kind of guy who will stop your daughter from dating some douche-canoe druggie clown, by smashing him in the face with his trusty brass knuckles. The unlikely pair is stuck together solving the mystery surrounding the death of a porn star and the disappearance of the daughter of a government official. Uncovering a great scandal in the process, which of course leads to danger, stripper mermaids, dead goons and a super hot assassin (Matt Bomer).

Hello super hot assassin Matt Bomer

Image via Warner Bros. 

Shane Black and co-writer Anthony Bagarozzi have put together a fairly formulaic piece of cinema, in this mystery-comedy with a twisted sense of humour. Despite it's formula, THE NICE GUYS has a personality. It's dark and twisty, and takes a turn somewhere at the corner of 'wrong-town' and 'they're not going to, oh yeah they did-ville'. It's no surprise that I bloody loved this film, Shane Black also penned LETHAL WEAPON and KISS KISS BANG BANG among others and he has perfected the twisty buddy comedy over the years. I think this film is going to go off with the general public, as it's put together by a guy who really knows what he's doing.

Such an unlikely pair

Image via Warner Bros. 

What I really liked about it was that I didn't hate Rusty and that's a unusual for me. I used to be a huge fan of Rusty, but in recent years I've really gone off him for some reason. Don't ask me what it is, I can't tell you, but in this film I actually really liked him as Healy and was pleasantly surprised by that. There's something about the way that he delivered his savage beatings as casually as you or I would do our taxes that is hilarious. His little emotional conundrum about whether or not he's a terrible person for what he does is also a nice little side line for his character. After casually breaking March's arm (the equivalent of a friendly handshake), they are working together and their chemistry as a mismatched pair is actually really good. As for Gosling, well, it's Ryang Gosling, what could possibly go wrong?

hey girl, Pinterest can wait, this bath cannot...Le sigh...

Image via Warner Bros.

Anyway, enough of me drooling over Gosling, let me get back to the point. He has developed into an excellent physical comedic actor, and his physicality in portraying March is a delight to have on screen. There is a particularly great scene where he is trying to confront Healy from a toilet stall, holding the door open, waving a firearm and trying to keep a magazine in front of his peen - hilarious. The pair give so much in this film and are so committed to the ridiculousness of their characters that I really got swept up in who they were playing. Cudos to the pair of them!

The supporting cast is also really great in THE NICE GUYS. They're both nicely scripted and nicely acted. March's daughter Holly (Rice) is one to watch, she's been in a few shorts and a couple of episodes on TV and THESE FINAL HOURS, but this could the kick off to something more for her. She was light and sincere in the delivery of her character and she even had a few scene stealing moments which is tough going when you're up there with two very powerful leading men. She really held her own out there with her sass, and impressive detective skills.

Girls got sass

Image via Warner Bros. 

Overall, this was the perfect film for me to get back to the cinema with. Dark, twisty, wicked sense of humour, well cast and bloody brilliantly directed by one of my favourites. There are some things that don't quite fit the time in the 70s that this is set, a few songs that didn't come out til a few years later and such, but nothing that causes you to not believe that you're in the 70s. It might be different for those who grew up in the 70s, but for this 80s baby I thought it was alright. I highly recommend handing over your 20-something dollars at your nearest cinema and getting in to see THE NICE GUYS. Unless you seriously hated LETHAL WEAPON and then maybe give it a miss. I loved it.

4 out of 5

Xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

THE MEDDLER - film review

THE MEDDLER
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Cast: Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons, Jerrod Charmichael, Cecily Strong, Lucy Punch

Synopsis: An aging widow from New York follows her daughter to Los Angeles in the hopes of starting a new life after her husband passes away

I didn't get to see any films at all last week as I had to dash off to Hobart to be with the family for a few days, so my regular movie-going days off work were taken up with flying and cuddling babies and then more flying.

Baby cuddling time!!

Then when I did get back it was my favourite time of the year - EUROVISION!!! I look forward to Eurovision the way most people look forward to Christmas, I countdown through the year and then I spend three days in media lockdown until I get to watch the replayed telecast. Down under we get the live telecasts at 4am, and sadly I had to go to my regular job, so had to wait until 7:30pm for the replay. I spend the weekend with my bestie The Red Haired Amazona and this year we spent the Saturday semi-final celebrating our friend Elise's birthday with dumplings and Eurovision drinking games, then Sunday we watched the grand final with Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam. Glorious.

Glorious, glorious Eurovision

Anyway, I digress...I got to go to the cinema yesterday and see a film, I had wanted to see the new X-MEN, but the timing didn't work out so I caught the new Susan Sarandon film - THE MEDDLER. Quite a naff title for a film that actually had a little bit of substance. It doesn't entice you to go and see it, the only reason I did was it worked out timing wise and I like Susan Sarandon. Otherwise I probably would have given it a miss, particularly with some of the films it's opening against this week. With only 4 other people in the cinema, it seems like I wasn't the only one thinking it sounded a bit naff.

Marnie Minervini (Sarandon) moves from New York to LA to be closer to her daughter after her husband passes away. Now I don't know about you, but my mother is actually not that intrusive, but I've seen an intrusive mother and I can totally appreciate how unnerving it would be. Marine is the mother of all intrusive mothers. Calling her daughter Lori (Rose Byrne) about 30 times a day, leaving voicemails just updating her on the day. When Lori decides they need to have "boundaries" Marnie finds other people to smother, like Lori's friends, the guy at the Apple Store, offering them reproductive advice, driving them to night classes, paying for their weddings. Marnie's level of intrusive varies from completely harmless like calling to tell her daughter about the new Beyoncé song, to downright out of control like making an appointment with Lori's shrink to ask questions about Lori.

Nothing like a Valentine's Day date with one's mother

Image via Sony Pictures

Writer-director Lorene Scafaria (SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD) based THE MEDDLER on experiences with her own mother, and although the script was not as sharp or witty as I might have liked, it will incite laughs, awkward winces and perhaps even a few tears from the general movie goers. I'm not sure it will fare as well with the critics, it's a little on the predictable side, and teeters on the verge of sitcomy humour. It is essentially a vehicle to showcase Sarandon, who is a little too glamourous and cool to pull off the Brooklyn-accented nosy britches mother, but nonetheless I think it will fare well as a lovely mother-daughter date film. Shame it didn't release over Mother's Day weekend - rookie error Sony.

There was some serious potential in this script for big side-splitting belly laughs, but Scafaria barely touches the surface of those moments which is a real shame. The bit where Marnie is seeing Lori's shrink could have played off into something huge, as could the moment where Lori starts pestering Marnie about her new "friend" Zipper, played by the gloriously moustached J.K Simmons.

Hello moustache

Image via Sony Pictures

Seriously, look at that stache!! Glorious! 

Image via Sony Pictures

THE MEDDLER had some lovely moments, but it wasn't as rich or filled out as it could have been, almost as though Scafaria was holding back a little. Unfortunate really as it had big potential. Nevertheless I enjoyed the film, it was short and snappy, at only 1 hour 40. It was refreshing to be out of the cinema before I was dying for a loo break. Overall, I think doting mothers and their daughters everywhere will get a good giggle out of it and if you're looking for something to take your Ma to go and see then I'd recommend a trip to go and see this film. I'm not raving about it and telling you to immediately go and hand over your 20-something dollars, but I don't think you'll be sad if you do part with that money.

3 out of 5

Xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell