If the name Laurel & Hardy are unfamiliar to you, then this movie is already a hard sell. Even if you were familiar with the names, it might still be a hard sell as unlike Chaplin or Keaton, Laurel & Hardy’s comedic chops haven’t really been remembered as much.
Stan & Ollie tells the story of the two as they attempt a comeback through a British tour to drum up interest in a future film project. The two characters, played by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly respectively, are portrayed as charming but aged, constantly questioning whether or not they have moved past their prime, while still pushing for one last gasp at their past stardom.
The movie is one I should have liked. In fact I was certainly excited when the first trailer was released, but ultimately unsurprised when it never showed up on Malaysian screens. On a recent trip to Turkey, I was thrilled to find it playing on the airplane entertainment system (not ideal I know but beggars and all that), only for me to fall asleep twice. It was, like The King’s Speech, a movie about people that I had only a passing knowledge of, but certainly an interest in; however unlike the Academy Award winner, this was a less interesting watch. Despite the history and baggage of the two characters (don’t worry, you’re told of it in flashback), the movie never really grabs your attention. The drama between Stan and Ollie (and their respective wives) don’t really amount to very much and in the end, the movie just ends up falling a little flat and disappointing.
Unless you’re a true fan, this movie may be asking for too much of an audience for characters that don’t really have the pulling power of the aforementioned Chaplin or Keaton. It’s a moment when the characters themselves are facing being forgotten by the public, fighting to cash one last bit of their fading light. Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are wonderful as the two, and completely believable in their partnership. Possibly a movie about the beginning of Laurel and Hardy’s partnership would have made for a better story; almost as an introduction of them to a new audience, as opposed to trying to tell the story of their end to a 21st century audience unfamiliar with the gags and bits of a bygone era.
Director: Jon S. Baird
Duration: 97 minutes
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Cast: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Nina Arianda, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston