The Nice Guys

For The Nice Guys comedy group, see James Maclurcan.

The Nice Guys
File:The Nice Guys poster.png Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Shane Black
Produced by	Joel Silver
Written by	Shane Black Anthony Bagarozzi
Starring	Russell Crowe Ryan Gosling Angourie Rice Matt Bomer Margaret Qualley Keith David Kim Basinger
Music by	David Buckley John Ottman
Cinematography	Philippe Rousselot
Edited by	Joel Negron
Production company	Silver Pictures Waypoint Entertainment RatPac-Dune Entertainment
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	May 15, 2016 (2016-05-15) (Cannes) May 20, 2016 (2016-05-20) (United States)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$50 million
Box office	$28.6 million

The Nice Guys is a 2016 American neo-noir crime buddy comedy film directed by Shane Black and written by Black and Anthony Bagarozzi. It stars Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Keith David and Kim Basinger. The film premiered on May 15, 2016, at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the United States on May 20, 2016, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $28 million.

Plot

In 1977 Los Angeles, a boy named Bobby witnesses fading porn star Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio) die in a car crash. Later that week, down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is approached by Mrs. Glenn, the aunt of Misty Mountains who is obsessively claiming to have seen her niece alive. Holland is skeptical of her claim, but realizes that a missing girl named Amelia Kutner (Margaret Qualley) is somehow involved and accepts the job. However, Amelia does not wish to be found and hires enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) to intimidate Holland into staying away from her. Later that night, Healy is attacked at his home by two thugs known as Blue Face (Beau Knapp) and Older Guy (Keith David), who attempt to interrogate him about Amelia's whereabouts. After stunning the duo, Healy manages to ward them off with a hidden shotgun. He then teams up with a reluctant Holland to find Amelia before the thugs do. The two are assisted by Holly (Angourie Rice), Holland's young daughter, who does not see eye to eye in regards to Holland's method of investigating, and is disapproving of her father's method of swindling extra payments out of his clients and feigning good results to cover his failures.

The two then find out that Amelia was working with Misty Mountains and an amateur filmmaker named Dean on an "experimental film"—equal parts pornography and investigative journalism—called How Do You Like My Car, Big Boy? about the smog in Los Angeles, as they were both protesters against the growing air pollution. Dean, however, mysteriously died in a fire that burned the film. The two end up at a party to search for the film's financier, Sid Shattack, a notorious pornography producer. After fumbling through the party, a drunken Holland ends up finding Shattack dead, while unknowingly coming across Amelia. Holly, after attempting to investigate on her own, is tricked into a car by Blue Face and Older Guy, who are also trying to kill Amelia. Healy fights with Older Guy, while Blue Face is seriously injured in a hit-and-run while chasing Holly and Amelia. Blue Face reveals to Healy that their boss has dispatched a hit man named John Boy (Matt Bomer) to kill Amelia, Holland and his family to prevent further witnesses. Healy discretely strangles Blue Face to death in order to protect Holland and Holly, later claiming to Holly that he died of his injuries. After a brief investigation, the two are greeted by Amelia's mother, Judith Kutner (Kim Basinger), a high-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice, who claims her daughter is delusional and paranoid and points them towards the Las Vegas mob trying to expand into the Los Angeles pornography scene.

Healy reveals the note paper with Holland's address given to him by Amelia is identical to a paper he found at the party, which gives leads to an airport hotel where Amelia was going to distribute the film. However, they witness the men there being slaughtered by John Boy and hastily retreat, only to have Amelia land on their car from the building where she is accidentally knocked out. They take her back to Holland's house, where she reveals that the people after her are working for a cabal of Detroit automakers. After uncovering evidence that they colluded to suppress the catalytic converter—which regulates exhaust emissions—Amelia created How Do You Like My Car, Big Boy? to expose their collusion rather than going to the media as she believed that they and the government were a part of the conspiracy. Judith has her assistant, Tally (Yaya DaCosta), arrange for Holland and Healy to deliver a case that supposedly contains one hundred thousand dollars. However, a half-asleep Holland accidentally crashes their car and the case is opened to reveal shredded magazines, causing them to realize that they have been double-crossed. At home, Holly is confronted and attacked by John Boy, who had been sent by Tally under the guise of being a family doctor. Holland and Healy arrive back at the house and engage in a shootout with John Boy. John Boy escapes, while an impatient Amelia leaves, only to run into and be killed by John Boy.

Holland and Healy try to bring the matter to court, but are rejected, as they have no evidence, leading them again to search for the film. The two have Mrs. Glenn show them where she saw Misty Mountains alive. Inside they find a hidden projector and deduce that there was a reprint of the film. They realize that the projectionist, Chett, another protester they had questioned about Dean, is the projectionist for the film and had worked with Amelia to make How Do You Like My Car, Big Boy? public by splicing it into the presentation film for the Los Angeles Auto Show, which is being held at a hotel. At the auto show, the two find that John Boy and Older Guy, along with a few other thugs are already there and have interrogated a drunken Chett, learning that the film will be projected automatically from a window of the building. Healy and Holland attempt to reach it first, only to be intercepted by Tally, whom Holly trips and knocks out. In the subsequent fight, Older Guy falls to his death, while Healy subdues John Boy, but spares his life for Holly's sake. Although How Do You Like My Car, Big Boy? is shown, the Detroit car companies are immune to any charges, as is Judith, who claims she did not want her daughter killed and justifies her involvement by insisting that "what is good for Detroit is good for America." Afterward Healy and Holland decide to continue working together as private eyes, naming their agency "The Nice Guys."

Cast

• Russell Crowe as Enforcer Jackson Healy
• Ryan Gosling as private detective Holland March
• Angourie Rice as Holly March
• Matt Bomer as John Boy
• Margaret Qualley as Amelia Kutner
• Murielle Telio as Misty Mountains
• Keith David as Older Guy
• Kim Basinger as Judith Kutner
• Beau Knapp as Blue Face
• Yaya DaCosta as Tally
• Ty Simpkins as Bobby
• Jack Kilmer as Chet
• Hannibal Buress as Bumble
• Lois Smith as Mrs. Glenn

Production

In June 2014, it was announced that Shane Black would direct a film titled The Nice Guys, with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling starring and Joel Silver producing. Warner Bros. handles the North American rights to the film. On September 16, Margaret Qualley and Angourie Rice joined the cast. On September 29, Matt Bomer was added to the cast. On October 20, Keith David and Beau Knapp were added to the cast to play hitman partners. On October 21, Kim Basinger joined the film to play a chief justice with dubious interests. On November 7, Ty Simpkins was added to the cast to play Bobby, a young boy whose shocking discovery sparks the mystery that the duo must solve. On November 13, Jack Kilmer joined the film to play Chet, a young film projectionist who is a friend and confidante of Amelia, and proves vital to the investigation.

Principal photography began on October 27, 2014, in Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia. On October 31, a police station scene was filmed in Atlanta among extras. Filming also took place in Los Angeles.

For its part, Warner Bros. used its 1972–1984 title featuring the "Big W" logo designed by Saul Bass for Warner Communications to open the film.

Release

In the United States, the film was originally scheduled for a June 17, 2016, release, which Warner Bros. moved to May 20, 2016, giving its previous date to Central Intelligence.

Reception

Box office

As of May 30, 2016, The Nice Guys has grossed $23.6 million in North America and $5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $28.6 million, against a budget of $50 million.

In North America, the film opened on May 20, 2016, alongside Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and The Angry Birds Movie, and was projected to gross around $10 million from 2,865 theaters in its opening weekend. It grossed $700,000 during its Thursday night previews and $3.9 million on its first day. In its opening weekend the film grossed $11.3 million, finishing fourth at the box office behind The Angry Birds Movie ($39 million), Captain America: Civil War ($33.1 million) and Neighbors 2 ($21.8 million).

Critical response

The Nice Guys has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 91%, based on 177 reviews, with an average score of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Nice Guys hearkens back to the buddy comedies of a bygone era while adding something extra courtesy of a knowing script and the irresistible chemistry of its leads." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 70 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale.

Mike Ryan of Uproxx gave the film a positive review, praising Black's writing, and saying: "If you like Shane Black, you will like The Nice Guys. It’s probably the Shane Black-est of all the Shane Black movies. Black has a knack for turning action movie expectations on their head mixed with knowing and rich dialogue." IGN gave the film a 9/10, writing, "Working from a tight and sharp script that perfectly balances the characters like a yin and yang of screw-ups ensures The Nice Guys is an absolute joy every step of the way."

External links

• Official website
• The Nice Guys at IMDb