What happens when you cast two A-list alpha males, such as Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, in one major motion picture? Well, if you're lucky the two gents will get along and produce a film that looks as hysterical as Shane Black's The Nice Guys. However, if you're not so lucky, you might have to resort to drastic measures, such as a couple rounds of couple's therapy, in order for them to play nice. As you'll see in the video below, the latter scenario has won out, and with hysterical results.
This video is, or course, part of a series of viral spots that Warner Bros is hoping will give The Nice Guys a nice boost at the box office. With Ryan being the excitable one, and Russell naturally taking the grumpier route, the pair try to work through their issues with the help of a studio mandated therapist. In traditional Shane Black fashion, Gosling's shotgun approach is matched by Crowe's patience of a sniper, with the results showing us just why we should be seeing this film in the first place.
"Couple's Therapy" looks to be a regular series of viral videos related to The Nice Guys that will be released through Warner Bros' YouTube channel, and honestly it looks like fun is had by all involved in these videos. Not only do Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe get to push the limits of their double act of eager and grumpy, The Big Bang Theory star Melissa Rauch gets in on the fun as the therapist being tasked with reigning in these two knuckleheads, all in the name of studio PR. So far, there are only two entries in the series released online: "Confrontation," which is shown at the top of this article, and "Building Walls," which you can watch below.
The Nice Guys is going to need all of the marketing clout it can get, as the Shane Black directed comedy is slated to be released on May 20th, the same day that Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and The Angry Birds Movie will be unleashed on the viewing public. It looks like it might be an uphill climb for the dark comedy, but if the web series above does its job, this film just might turn into one of 2016's sleeper hits. At the very least, it's good for a quick laugh and makes us even more excited to see if Ryan and Russell can patch up their differences.
The Nice Guys come to town on May 20th, and they'll be bringing the funk with them.
