A solid, often entertaining life-of-crimer which benefits from some stylistic touches and a faithful, convincing central performance.
It’s enjoyable enough, if a little tonally monged.
Why wasn’t this film wittier and more imaginatively shaped? Linear yet directionless it lollops on.
Where the picture comes into its own is in the latter stages, once the merry-go-round stops. A bravura turn from Ifans, whose towering charm gives the tale, and Marks, a certain dash.
It feels like a halfway house towards mainstream recovery for a career blighted by studio frustration, but it offers something close to a career-best opportunity for Rhys Ifans.
Ifans is very good and the fine period texture and some levity in comic asides keeps it interesting.
You have to take it with a pinch of salt: but it's entertaining.
I was hoping for a piece as entertaining, controversial and subversive as its antihero, not a reverential bore.
It's a cleverly assembled character study thanks to Ifans' very decent turn, a seat-of-your-pants plot and nice period detail.
The longer this rackety story continues, the harder it becomes to understand exactly why we should be interested.
Mr Nice feels like it's supposed to be a farce, but it's never funny or engaging enough to succeed on that level, and nor is it hard-hitting enough to work as a serious exploration of the drug running.
Mr Nice is nothing more than – excuse the expression – a glorified puff piece.
The film is a lighthearted, amoral comedy thriller.
Marksist ideology--Dealing drugs Howard's way
Interview: Rhys Ifans, actor
Meeting Mr Nice
Rhys Ifans rolls on through the morning after the night before
Rhys Ifans: 'I'm a bloody good actor'
Howard Marks biopic Mr Nice-Rhys Ifans interview
Interview: David Thewlis, actor
Nice work if you can get it
General release. Check local listings for show times.
RSS feed of Cinema reviews