Stan & Ollie

Here's another fine mess I've gotten into.

So my writings have slowed down to a crawl. I think it's a crawl. A huge factor is that my local theaters have yet to show If Beale Street Could Talk. I don't know if they will before the Oscars. But I need to review something. That something is Stan & Ollie, a film which the Oscars bypassed. It's another fine trip down Hollywood memory lane.

It's 1953. Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) were comedy stars in the 1930s. They're past their prime now and looking for a comeback. A parody of Robin Hood is their best bet. So they go on tour in the United Kingdom to impress a prospective producer. Their wives, Ida (Nina Arianda) and Lucille (Shirley Henderson), soon join them.

Trouble follows. The tour initially plays to almost empty seats. Their manager gets things going with a few public appearances. But their prospective producer backs out, which means no movie. They have personal misgivings with each other, primarily fueled by a contract dispute in 1937. Ollie's failing health is no help either. They threaten to quit each other. But they can't do it. They need each other.

Coogan and Reilly are the boys alive again. They look the part, act the part, and while they don't perfectly sound the part, get their diction just right. They're great characters as much as they are great imitations. We're invested in their struggles with their pasts and futures. Their chemistry with each other and their wives is genuine. The Boys' ultimate reconciliation leaves us on a high note.

Director Jon S. Baird (Filth) works from a script by Jeff Pope. The opening credits showcase Laurie Rose's cinematography as the camera follows Stan & Ollie to the set of Way Out West. Their ensuing three-way argument with themselves and boss Hal Roach (Danny Huston) tells us a lot about their strained relationship in a short time. The rest of the film's 97 minutes is the same. The Boys' creative and personal differences play out in the concise plot. We understand the Boys' history as they evaluate their own.

Stan & Ollie's text epilogue relates their final years; Ollie dies in '57, then Stan retires and dies in '65. It's a bit sad, but not depressing. We see them rediscover their partnership as entertainers and as friends. We end with them happy with whatever time they have left. We're pleased with that. See it for yourselves. Then, see a Laurel and Hardy feature. They're still funny after many decades.