First Take: The Nice Guys- buddy cop cinema meets 70s cheese

SYPNOSIS: A mismatched pair of private eyes investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles.

Shane Black has been wanting to make this film for years, and it is clearly evident why: his take on the buddy cop film is one of the finest pieces of big screen entertainment for a little while.

The Nice Guys literally puts you in the middle of 70’s LA with a very charming and funny script from Black and first time screenwriter Anthony Bagarozzi, that blends the humour that has been marketed so well with the generic conventions of the crime genre. Performance wise, there is some stellar work from Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling and Matt Bomer, however, the real star is Angourie Rice, who is definitely a name to look out for in the future- and now that she has been cast in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, she’s definitely here to stay.

The soundtrack is a perfect selection of 70s music, with the original score from John Ottman adding to an already realistic world. It might not be the most serious crime film, but it is certainly a film that the industry has needed to relieve the so-called superhero fatigue of 2016- and we might be looking at a possible Film of the Year contender right here.

THE VERDICT

It’s not Black’s best film, but it is still pretty damn good, and easily one that can be watched over and over again. With lots of great 70′s references and some great performances, it is easily one of the most enjoyable films I’ve seen so far this year.

RATING: 5/5