Holland March: "Look on the bright side. Nobody got hurt."
Jackson Healy: "People got hurt."
Holland March: "I'm saying, I think they died quickly. So I don't think they got hurt."
The movie is a crime movie; some might—and have—even describe it as a neo-noir though that might be arguable to others. Nevertheless, whether noir or no, it does revolve around a disappearance, private detectives, shady characters and other elements which could quite easily be transformed into a straight-up drama. And, indeed, some dramatic elements are retained, but as it is also a buddy comedy, expect the tonal shifts. The shifts come swiftly at times and this exchange between the two central characters illuminates its quality as a dark comedy.
“Right. Hitler only had one ball.”
One can watch The Nice Guys for the enjoyment of the comedic crime-solving and perhaps be utterly satisfied. Then again, one can leave the cinema without remembering a single thing about the criminal element having enjoyed it just as much or even, perhaps, more. The line quoted above is an example of the many moments in the movie where there is a subtle, understated payoff to the film’s prime quality. That quality is something which can make or break a film like this: funny dialogue expertly handled by two actors exhibiting sublime chemistry. On its own, this line is funny enough, but placed within a context in which it is a punch line to a joke existing somewhere else far away from the scene in which it is uttered, it is exponentially more humorous.
“Look, they got away with it. Big surprise, you know? People are stupid. But they're not that stupid. The point is five years tops, we're all driving electric cars from Japan, anyway. Mark my words.”
Almost from out of nowhere around midway through the movie, the crime at its center suddenly grows much larger in scope. To fully appreciate the significance of this line when taken out of context like this, it is imperative to understand that in addition to be a neo-noir/buddy movie/crime comedy, The Nice Guys is also a period of piece. It is set in that magical wonderland of Los Angeles just as the seventies was about to become forever linked with—impossible as it may seem—the music of the Bee Gees and the dancing of John Travolta. This also happens, quite coincidentally, to be the period that was the last gasp of dominance by American automakers. So, there is irony here because, of course, we all know Holland was right. At the time, however, he would likely have been either laughed or chase out of a city like Detroit.
Holly March: "Dad, there's like whores here and stuff."
Holland March: "Sweetheart, how many times have I told you? Don't say `and stuff.' Just say `dad, there are whores here'".
Holly March: Well, there's like a ton.
Guess what? In addition to being a neo-noir/buddy movie/crime comedy, The Nice Guys is also a surprisingly touching—and absolutely hysterically funny—film about father/daughter relationships. Some of the funniest back-and-forth exchanges in a movie that overflows with such exchanges takes place between Holly and Holland. And the whole “and stuff” becomes a running gag in and of itself that pays off…well, let’s just say it pays off, like, really big and stuff.
“Marriage is buying a house for someone you hate.”
Some quotes stick out of a movie because they either wittingly or unwittingly encapsulate a character’s entire psyche. Such is the case here. Jackson’s misadventures in matrimony are not necessarily a narrative requirement, but they do provide insight into his character and, perhaps, what in his past has led to his characteristics. Jackson is the yin to Holland’s yang. Or maybe the opposite. Whichever one is the Captain Bringdown, that’s the Jackson one. But that by no means lessens his opportunity to make the audience laugh. Word of advice: spouses should by all means avoid trying to laugh too hard when Jackson makes this observation. .
