The Nice Guys (2016) - Good fun in Black's period buddy offering

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In warm, earthy tones and ocean blue, the two stars look inviting on this poster for Shane Black's The Nice Guys

In 1970s Los Angeles, a policeman and a private detective join forces on a case they share; of a murdered porn actress and a disappeared girl named Amelia.

 

The Nice Guys is written by Anthony Bagarozzi (Big Bad John (1990, electrician)) and co-writer/director Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)).

Russell Crowe (Gladiator (2000)) and Ryan Gosling (Fracture (2007)) work impeccably as buddies, and there's no lack of fun situations and lines that spark nicely, - even if I still find it tough to link Gosling's baby face with a part as the single father of a teenage girl...

Shane obviously enjoys the moral licenses he takes by placing his plot in the grimy 70s' LA. The outcome of the gnarly, long plot is limited, but the film entertains brilliantly along the way.

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 50 mil. $

Box office: 62.7 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.25 times its cost)

[The Nice Guys premiered 10 May (Los Angeles) and runs 116 minutes. Black and Bagarozzi had written the first script in 2001, and the film had been envisioned as a TV-series in the lengthy timespan before Black took it out again and secured financing, because Crowe and Gosling both signed on to play together, each for a salary of "more than 7 mil. $". Shooting took place around October 2014 in Georgia, including in Atlanta, and in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #4, behind fellow new release The Angry Birds Movie, holdover hit Captain America: Civil War and new release Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, to a 11.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 36.2 mil. $ (57.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 4.9 mil. $ (7.8 %) and Australia with 4.3 mil. $ (6.9 %). Black returned with The Predator (2018). Crowe returned in Saturday Night Live (2016, TV-series) and theatrically in The Mummy (2017); Gosling in La La Land (2016). The Nice Guys is certified fresh at 91 % with a 7.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Nice Guys? 

The Normal Heart (2014) - The early HIV/AIDS tragedy portrayed with appropriate fury and great performances

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+ Best Adaptation of the Year + Best TV Movie of the Year

The curiosity-inspiring poster for Ryan Murphy's The Normal Heart

The gay parties rage in 1981, when HIV/AIDS begins ravaging and awakes self-criticism, reflection, sorrow and an upwards fight against the obdurate society at large.

The Normal Heart is Ryan Murphy's (Eat Pray Love (2010)) TV movie adaptation of Larry Kramer's (Faggots (1978)) same-titled 1985 play, adapted by Kramer himself. It is an eminent adaptation. The film dazzles with several fiery scenes and an Oscar-worthy lead Mark Ruffalo (Begin Again (2013)) and phenomenal, supporting Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman (1990)). Normal Heart also boasts a slew of other great supporting performances, from Matt Bomer (Magic Mike XXL (2015)), - who lost 40 pounds to portray his character's change, - Taylor Kitsch (Lone Survivor (2013)), Jim Parsons (Home (2015)) and Alfred Molina (The Truth About Emanuel (2013)).
The title of the film is never really explained, but not a heart remains untouched after watching The Normal Heart. - A must-see!

Related posts:

2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
 

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: Reportedly 17-18 mil. $ 
Box office: None (TV movie)
= Uncertainty
[The Normal Heart has had an exceptionally long voyage to becoming a film, with several great talents involved before this finally happened with Murphy at the helm, for HBO. It was filmed in the summer of 2013 in New York. Normal Heart drew 1.4 mil. viewers on its Memorial Day first showings, which makes it HBO's 5th highest-rated TV movie since 2010 (out of 17). It also got fine reviews, 3 Globe nominations, - including a win for Bomer for Best Supporting Actor, - and 9 Emmy nominations including one win, for Outstanding TV Movie. The Normal Heart is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.7 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Normal Heart? 
Other TV movies you consider must-sees?

Magic Mike (2012) - Soderbergh and Tatum score big with cheeky male strip romp

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+ Best Dance Movie of the Year

Please note that Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike isn't a film about The Village People, - as this poster may make some think, - but instead about a group of male strippers in Tampa, Florida

Mike is a stripper in Tampa, Florida, where he meets young Adam on a construction day job and later introduces him to the colorful, festive, lucrative world of male-stripping.

Magic Mike is the guilty pleasure movie based on its title star Channing Tatum's (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)) own experiences as a young stripper in Tampa. The film is half-way built on its more or less irresistible (depending on your sexual preferences) gimmick of ... hot men stripping!
But around this the film's spectacle (the stripping) is wrapped a good story of a young man finding out a bit more about himself, and how the good life can be, which slowly moves forward to the ending of the film, - which is also terrific.
Magic Mike features some good acts, but none can compete with Tatum's own, divinely wiggling talent in the male stripping dance discipline; Tatum has what will always remain a defining, classic role for his career here. Matthew McConaughey (Mud (2012)) gets another wild, fleshy (in more than one sense) part here, and he is worth both good looks and more than a good laugh as the strip group leader. Young Alex Pettyfer (The Butler (2013)) hits all the right notes as the innocuous Adam 'The Kid', as does Cody Horn (End of Watch (2012)) as his caring sister, whom Mike warms up to, despite her protective step-mothering her brother.
The film is directed by great director Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich (2000)), who is his own director of photography here as usual, and his easy-going camera and low key lighting is masterful. He's obviously having a great, relaxed, fun time with this group of easy-going, happy-go-lucky go-getters here, and the result is hugely enjoyable.
Reid Carolin (Magic Mike XXX (2015)) wrote the script.

Related posts:

Steven Soderbergh: Side Effects (2013) - Modern people screw up in excellent thriller 
Behind the Candelabra (2013) - Restraint and extravagance
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 
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Solaris (2002) - A suffering space question mark 

Watch the awesome trailer for the film here

Cost: 7 mil. $
Box office: 167.2 mil. $
= Huge hit
[Mike was first supposed to be directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive (2011)), Tatum's first choice, but it fell apart, and Soderbergh seems a better fit anyhow. The film became a sensation especially in the States with a 39.1 mil. opening weekend behind Ted (2012). Big especially with women and gays, - which the PR-department for the film targeted at them with different campaigns, - Mike made its budget back 28 times, 68 % of it from North America. The inevitable sequel, Magic Mike XXL (2015) is filming at the moment and eagerly anticipated by Film Excess.]

What do you think of Magic Mike?