'THE NICE GUYS' REVIEW

Release Date: Friday the 3rd of June (UK Release)

Directed By: Shane Black

Written By: Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi 

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling and Angourie Rice

Distributed By: Warner Brothers

As something of the go to guy when thinking of the Buddy Cop subgenre, Shane Black returns (from flying high with the third instalment of the Iron Man Franchise), back to where he began as he spins a tale of murder, mystery and mismatched cops.

In the ever vibrant and at times violent world of late seventies Los Angeles, morally transparent Private Investigator Holland March (Gosling) is on the case of a missing girl associated with the recent death of porn star Misty Mountains. Here he meets gruff and grumbling unlicensed P.I. Jackson Healy (Crowe) whom, following a brief spat; team up and set out on a case which will go much further up the chain than expected. Aiding the two along the way is March's sharp and sassy adolescent daughter Holly (Angourie Rice) who sreves as the moral compass for both her single father and his equally lonesome new partner. Together the two men must uncover the reasoning behind missing girl Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley) before it's too late. 

Having been introduced in as one of the new Hollywood Heartthrobs when first rising to fame, Ryan Gosling has already attempted to shake off the stereotype with roles such as the almost silent driver in Nicholas Winding Refn's 'Drive' as well as his upcoming lead role in Ridley Scott's untitled Blade Runner sequel. This typecast smashing continues to great effect here as Gosling's comic chops are displayed with great success as he harks back to the silent era stars Keaton and Chaplin including a stand off whilst caught short in a toilet cubicle as well as slipping and falling throughout the narrative, at times leading to a clue in the case. His slapstick schmuck persona becomes a little more layered by the relationship he has with his 13 year old daughter who also serves as his carer at times. This is juxtaposed by Crowe's chubby, heavy handed Healy who chooses to sort his business mainly with his fists. Starting as something of a cardboard cut out of the brawn of the pairing, (who is trying to get on the wagon following a split from his partner) Healy quickly becomes the brains too as well as someone to help ground Gosling's March, as indeed his approach to the case is much more professional, if somewhat marred with the occasional right hook. Serving as the glue for the chalk and cheese pairing however is Rice's Holly who is sure to go far following this performance of a smart and independent daughter who isn't afraid to vent her emotions to Healy, (in turn forming a strong bond between the two) nor is she shy of verbalising her unhappiness of her fathers line of work, deeming him "The worst detective in the world". 

Having concocted two of cinema's most iconic cop team ups with 'Lethal Weapon' in 1987,Shane Black prolific skill at bringing the buddy cop genre into the limelight was displayed again with writing credits on 1991’s ‘The Last Boy Scout’ before stepping into the directors chair with his debut ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’. It is the latter which draws the most similarities here with Gosling and Crowe replacing Downey Jr. and Kilmer. The premise of these two could be considered symmetrical including the event which brings the two together, in classic Neo Noir fashion the mysterious death of a young girl. The mismatched protagonist theme is also clear with the two almost forced to work together despite having near polar opposite personalities. The well trodden trope still shows to be a success however as despite elements of similar narrative beats including a heavily extravagant party in which a comic beatdown occurs. Along side the visual stimulus of the somewhat picturesque world of Hollywood in the late seventies is Black’s classically slick writing which allows the film to zip along at a smooth yet swift pace. This includes of course his somewhat niche brand of comedy which opens the doors for numerous bouts of near vomiting whenever March encounters blood, as well as luring the audience into believing how a scene will platy out, only for Black to take a sharp left and instead reveal a much more inventive aspect to the story. 

Given the obvious influences of his previous work such as ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ and ‘Lethal Weapon’, Black’s latest Crime Caper also invokes an aesthetic feel of Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Boogie Nights’ with a large portion of the story taking place around the porn industry which could also be one of the films weweaknesses. Although with the backdrop of the porn industry abundantly clear, there are moments where the representation of said ‘actresses’ has varying degrees of success, indeed within the first few minutes of the film, the slow reveal of an important female character (though played with a seeming comic approach) walks the fine line between tragic irony and borderline leering. That by no means is a fundamental issue as any misogynistic worries were swiftly left at that two minute mark, due to the fact that Angourie Rice’s Holly makes such an impact, easily matching Gosling’s unquestionably strong performance. Black himself also stated ‘The Pink Panther’ as a heavy influence, becoming clearer as the titular Nice Guys progress in the case, breakthrough after breakthrough with Gosling quickly emulating Inspector Cleuso, leaving Healy as a hard boiled Chief Inspector Dreyfus.

Another notable factor throughout his films is the consistent hark back to film making as a theme, with ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ looking at Hollywood itself, ‘The Nice Guys’ follows suit as the notable passion for celluloid becomes a key plot point, giving the viewer a deeper thematic construct for those looking for more than a action comedy which is well balanced with both. 

As a director who has been in the industry as long as he has, it is a welcome feat that Black still has a passion for stories of this nature as Hollywood has now become a franchise magnet, with reboots and sequels the order of the day, every day. Although his hand print was notable in ‘Iron Man 3’ (to questionable effect), Black is at home focusing on murky characters with a darkly comic twist. With his next project delving into the long lasting ‘Predator’ franchise, it’s clear Black may be on the way up in which case who can tell whether the likes of this smart, smooth and scintillating picture will be seen again. If not it would without doubt be a great shame. 

"So you're telling me, you made a porno where the point is the plot?" - Holland March

'MONEY MONSTER' REVIEW

Release Date: Friday the 27th of May (UK Release)

Directed By: Jodie Foster

Written By: Jamie Linden and Alan DiFiore

Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jack O'Connell

Distributed By: Tristar Pictures

At a time when the bashing of Wall Street seems to be ever present in some form at the cinema, with the likes of Adam Mckay's biographical comedy 'The Big Short' receiving multiple accolades this year, what a more appropriate time for Jodie Foster to shake up her previous work by adding Political Thriller 'Money Monster' to her portfolio.

Beginning in the hectic and fluid world of daytime television, we are introduced to Clooney's energetic host Lee Gates, star and face of somewhat trashy money show 'Money Monster'. Remniscent of something dreamed up by Donald Trump, the highlights include Jordan Belfort esque explanations on the stock market jarred with the occasional burst of scantily clad ladies (Classy right?). Overseeing the entire broadcast is studio director Patty Fenn (Roberts) whom is on the final few days of work before moving to another company. The show is somewhat quickly halted by the arrival of manic gunman Kyle Budwell (O'Connell) who arrives with a burning temper and a home made bomb vest. With a recent investment gone awry, Budwell wants answers as Gates and himself race to get the answers, before the authorities can resolve the situation. 

From the opening scene, it is quite clear that Clooney is thoroughly enjoying himself in the role with effortless manor as he exudes charisma, paired with the borderline cliche of a man who appears to have everything but the little things that make it all worthwhile. The front which we see during the live broadcast however (reminiscent of De Niro's Rupert Pupkin in Scorsese's 'King of Comedy') quickly evaporates with the arrival of O'Connell's Kyle who soon pushes past the predictable highly strung everyday man to soon represent the pent up frustration of an entire class. Displaying the snarling aggression present in one of his earliest leading roles 'Starred Up', O'Connell also attempts to hit the empathetic punches of Pacino's Sonny in 'Dog Day Afternoon' (A clear template for not only his character but also the thematic construct of the narrative) with questionable effect. 

Roberts' overseeing of the entire event unfold primarily from the confined space of a control room has little to no screen time with the two leads but by no means has less involvement, speaking to Gates via an earpiece, she quickly takes to the situation as her position would entail and begins to direct the scenario unfolding as though it were just another day at the office, bringing to mind the performance of Faye Dunaway's Diana Christensen in Lumet's Newsroom satire 'Network'. Supporting this hefty cast is Giancarlo Esposito, here very different from his magnetically menacing performance as Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad as the officer in charge of the hostage rescue situation. Domonic West also appears as the head of the company who's stock crash has caused this entire palaver, compiling all the predictable tropes of a less than three dimensional corporate stooge. 

In her somewhat short list of previous work, Foster has tackled a range of thematic constructs with the likes of her previous film, the tonally trust up 'The Beaver' looking at the heart of depression with a somewhat quirky twist, along with the internal struggles of a single parent trying to do whats best for her genius son in her 1995 debut 'Little Man Tate'. In 'Money Monster' however, Foster aims to tackle less intimate themes and for the first time enter the realm of satire.

Despite its somewhat threatening premise, 'Money Monster' flows with unpredictable and at points jarring comic beats, the set up of Lee Gates' titular show a prime example. The message is nothing particularly groundbreaking, indeed certain beats seen decades ago in the likes of 'Network, with the publics desensitisation to lives at risk and the prospect of a man being executed on live television. The ideal of one individual representing the ideals of thousands is also a common trope in modern cinema though in my eyes championed by Pacino’s performance in ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ which O’Connell’s performance never seems to reach despite great effort. The final and possibly most important theme of corporate greed being a despicable act (Duh) is undoubtedly clear at the crux of the narrative but makes for a somewhat predictable payoff in the third act. 

All things considered, ‘Money Monster’ has nothing new to say on a thematic level, but the execution of the narrative progression makes for an entertaining and at times thrilling watch. With all performers bringing their all with what they are given, Clooney and O’Connell’s onscreen chemistry is apparent and I hold out hope for a future collaboration of some form. For me however its Roberts’ headstrong and sharp witted Patty Fenn who stands out whilst not being in the midst of the chaos yet is utterly somewhat in control the entire time. Whilst not an entire success, this stands out as Foster’s best directorial work so far and holds promise for more collaborations between O’Connell and Clooney.

"They literally own the airwaves. They literally control the information, but not today" - Kyle Budwell