The Nice Guys (2016)

THE NICE GUYS  (2016)  ¢ ¢ ¢
    D: Shane Black
    Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice,
    Matt Bomer, Beau Knapp, Margaret Qualley,
    Lois Smith, Keith David, Kim Basinger
Mischief and mayhem with Russell Crowe as a brass-knuckles enforcer (he'll beat people up for a price) and Ryan Gosling as a dim-bulb private eye, who for a price will stay on the trail of people he knows to be dead. The two meet cute, or what qualifies as cute in a movie like this, when Crowe, on assignment, delivers a message from a client by twisting Gosling's arm. Till it breaks. In no time at all, they're partners, trying to solve the case of a dead porno actress and a missing reel of film. It's a throwaway, but the humor is gleefully underhanded and the boys are having a real good time. Angourie Rice, who plays Gosling's 13-year-old daughter, has the look and self-assurance of a young Reese Witherspoon.