NICE GIRLS

2024, 90 minutes, Colour.

Alice Taglioni, Stefi Celma, Baptiste Lecaplain, Noemie Lvovsky, Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Katrina Durden.

Directed by Noemie Saglio.

There was an amusing action-comedy with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, Nice Guys. And there is the American phrase used in films, Knockaround Guys. Here is a French version of the Nice Guys turned into Nice Girls, Knockaround Girls.

The setting is the Riviera and filmed to great advantage with the sea, the mountains, the mountain roads overlooking the sea, lots of atmosphere.

And, there is a basic message about the environment, an event being staged, a speaker who reminds audiences of Greta Tunberg, but some sabotage planned by oil-based industries. The local police are meant to be providing security for the event.

The characters are very Knockaround, focus on Leo, athletic, intense, bad judgements a lot of the time, upset at the death of a fellow officer whom she considered a brother, determined to investigate his murder in Hamburg. At headquarters, there is Hernandez, the chief, smiling, tough-sounding, and dithery. Into the mix comes an investigator from Germany, much more sensible, effective in her police work, getting clues. And, the main villains are male, with the exception of a deadly, icy female killer. And, in the mix, is a computer nerd who would like to be involved with the police, is infatuated with Leo, and becomes more and more involved in the action.

Which sounds all right for the formula. However, while there is a lot of action in confrontation, shootings, explosions, chases, the tone is frequently comic – but varying more towards the silly knockabout style than clever comedy.

To appreciate how the dynamic ticks, one could imagine an American version with male-female roles reversed, with Mark Wahlberg the equivalent of Leo, thinking of so many of his action characters, tough, not always serious. The police woman from Germany, more serious, ethnic background from beyond Europe, is a Denzel Washington type of character. The head of the police department could be Danny DeVito. And, the nerd could be played in the vein of Amy Poehler and her comic style.

So, if that appeals, this is an easy 90 minutes light and slight entertainment. If too silly or frivolous, give it a miss.