If the names Laurel and Hardy are unfamiliar to you, then this movie might be a hard sell. Because unlike Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy’s comedy isn’t really remembered or referenced as much.
Stan & Ollie tells the story of the two comedians 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 stardom.
This is a movie 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 in-flight entertainment system (not ideal, I know, but beggars and all that), only for me to fall asleep twice while watching it. 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 far less interesting to watch.
Despite the history and baggage of the two characters (don’t worry, you’re told about all of it in flashbacks), the movie never really grabs your attention. The drama between Stan and Ollie (and their respective wives) doesn’t really amount to very much and in the end, and the movie just feels a little flat and disappointing.
Unless you’re a true fan, this movie may be asking too much of an audience for characters that don’t really have the pulling power of the aforementioned Chaplin or Keaton. And while Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are wonderful as the two leads, and completely believable in their partnership, it doesn’t quite make up for the lack of any real conflict, drama, or even message that I could relate to or care about. There might have been more potential in a movie about the beginning of Laurel and Hardy’s partnership, one that would introduce them to a new audience, as opposed to trying to tell the story of their end to a 21st century audience that is altogether unfamiliar with these funnymen of a bygone era.
Stan & Ollie
99 minutes
Director: Jon S. Baird
Writer: Jeff Pope
Cast: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Nina Arianda, Shirley Henderson, and Danny Huston
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