Stan & Ollie – 4 out of 5
My familiarity with Laurel and Hardy is passing at best. I’m aware of who they are, I’ve seen bits and pieces of there material and that’s just about where it stops. I have no real reason for not digging into their work beyond the fact it just never became something I invested in or tried to seek out in my life. That being said, I do love a good biopic and when I saw the trailer for Stan & Ollie I was immediately sold on seeing it.
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| When I was a kid, I thought the world was once in black and white because of black and white movies. I was a dumb kid. |
In the early 50s, Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) are heading over across the pond and are gearing up to embark on a UK and Ireland tour in hopes it will renew audiences' interest in them so they can get an adaptation of Robin Hood produced. With new comedic duos on the scene and their films no longer drawing, the pair is at the tail end of their careers. With each passing gig, the audiences become smaller and Ollie’s health gets worse. Matters are only made worse when Stan learns that the man he hoped would produce the Robin Hood film backs out of the deal and he decides to keep that information from his friend and partner.
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| High waist pants are back. Hardy was ahead of his time with fashion. |
What I liked the most about Stan & Ollie is the fact the story focuses them during the end of their careers rather than their heyday. It showcases the hardships of two performers who knew greatness and are doing their best to hold on to that creative spark as their bodies and time start to take its toll. It still would be cool to see a biopic that illustrates them at their strongest but this film allows for a more vulnerable time to be explored and see how this would affect their partnership and their friendship.
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| Look at those piercing blue eyes they gave Coogan... Damn, they are looking into my soul. |
The film does a great job at balancing the tones and emotions of the story. It’s heartwarming as it explores the depths of their friendship, gets emotional as the pressure of this friendship mixed with their winding down career starts to get to them and it’s charming and funny as it illustrates the humor of these two men. The production really captured some great drama, heart and emotion and it did so in a realistic way that never came off as too over-the-top or overdramatized.
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| John C. Reilly is a treasure...and this is the time when I once again sell my idea of a biopic of P.T. Barnum that doesn't shy away from the controversial points of the man's life and Reilly plays Barnum. |
Quite possibly the strongest aspect of this film is the cast and its two leads; Coogan and Reilly. Both of them really felt like their real-life counterparts but, in addition to this, they really had this amazing chemistry together. They both were not only able to capture the essence of both the characters they were playing but they mastered the comedy duo’s timing and mannerisms. It was easy to get lost in their performance and the fact that both of them had this undeniable chemistry only made the whole product that much more enjoyable to consume.
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| They dance better than I do...in fairness though, I'm a shitty dancer. I basically only do The Robot and do it poorly. |
Stan & Ollie is a sweet biopic depicting the latter days of two comedy icons. The story is as amusing as it is heartwarming and delivers its subject material in a way that never feels like it is overdramaticizing everything but rather presenting it in a real and authentic way. Finally, it features some truly fantastic performances from two very talented actors.
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