What a stinker I am, all not loving this new Shane Black film that everyone else is losing their minds over.
If you go see The Nice Guys, adjust your expectations first. Black’s film speaks to genre nostalgia and period nostalgia, and it rides on two great performances by its leads; it’s the kind of movie that courts its core viewers very, very well, and if you are not part of that number you may find yourself wondering what the fuss is about. There is plenty to fuss about as far as Gosling and Crowe go, of course, and Black’s writing is quick enough with jokes and action that gaps in its pacing are more like stutters than straight-up stumbles. When the film is boring, it isn’t boring for very long, but you can sense that Black is trying to grasp at some greater meaning in The Nice Guys‘ quieter moments.
I’ve said too much already, so get thee to Paste Magazine to read my review of the movie.
