Los Angeles, May 19 (EFE).- Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe will star as detectives of dubious morals in “The Nice Guys,” a film that confirms the former’s comic touch and allows the latter to return to a genre where he has not done much yet in his career.

Gosling, 35, said in a recent interview with reporters in Los Angeles before the U.S. screening of the film on Friday that Crowe had influenced him greatly as an actor, particularly his ability to believably take on any role or character.

Meanwhile, Crowe admitted that he only agreed to participate in “The Nice Guys” when he knew that Gosling would be his castmate.

The 52-year-old New Zealander said that he saw Gosling in “Drive,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “The Idles of March,” and knew that he was a special talent, adding that the pair had gotten along well right from the start.

“The Nice Guys,” written and directed by Shane Black (“Iron Man 3″) is set in Los Angeles during the 1970s, where two private investigators decide to work together to solve the case of a young woman’s disappearance, apparently linked to the murder of a porn star.

During the investigation, the improbable duo, with the help of the daughter of Gosling’s character, discover a conspiracy reaching to the highest circles of power.

One of the most attractive aspects of the project was to see the two actors, known primarily for their more dramatic roles, take on quite different characters, something Black did “for a reason,” Gosling said.

Crowe said that the key was to approach the story with seriousness, despite the fact that the script calls for ridiculous situations and dialogue. EFE

The Nice Guys first screened at the Cannes  Film Festival and in Belgium. It will hit U.S. theaters on May 20 and is expected in Costa Rica in mid-June.