Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Ollie Hardy (John C. Reilly) are one of the greatest comedy duos of all time. Some might call them the greatest. The pair were at the apex of their career in 1937, when Stan's contract expired. Hardy was teamed with another actor for a subsequent film, setting the stage for a later strain in their relationship, which required a bit of artistic license for this film, Stan & Ollie. The film touches on their 1937 split, picking up in 1953 with a European tour that is supposed to culminate in the creation of a new film (another bit of artistic license). In reality, Stan & Ollie, did quite a few films, reunited shortly after the contract dispute between Stan and Roach Studios was settled. The film focuses on Stan & Ollie rekindling their act for the stage as they travel from small venues that gradually get larger as fans realize they are still performing together. The film focuses on their close relationship, health issues and genuine chemistry as the pair create comedy magic.
I don't mind that Jeff Pope took liberties with the story of Stan Laurel and Ollie Hardy. You have to tell a story. My complaint isn't so much with the liberties taken as with the pacing of this film. This story had tremendous potential. It ended up feeling pretentious at times. It plodded along, wasting too much time spoon feeding the audience rather than letting the great dialogue stand on its own. The dialogue has genuine Stan and Ollie value. The comedic sequences, choreographed dancing and singing was brilliant. The characters were interesting, based on interesting figures that are part of American folklore. The golden age of Hollywood spanned the time that this duo were at the apex of their career. It is unfortunate that the writing trudged along at times.
The magic of Stan & Ollie transcends the dialogue. Ollie Hardy steps through time, possessing the body of John C. Reilly with an authenticity that was almost eerie. Reilly's transformation was both visually compelling as well as absorbing Hardy's aura. I'm not sure I would have thought to cast Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel, but he was brilliant in the role. Both of these actors were recently featured in the poorly executed film Holmes and Watson. This film offers them complete redemption. The quality of this film that stands out is the casting. The dialogue was sharp, but the delivery was brilliance. This goes beyond the title characters to the supporting cast as well. The dialogue between Lucille Hardy (Shirley Henderson) and Ida Laurel (Nina Arianda) possessed the same wit and comedic timing as the exchanges by the male leads. Arianda was particularly impressive. The casting made this film better than it might have been.
Stan & Ollie received a family friendly rating of PG by the MPAA. It didn't need it. The audience when we attended were all older than I am, which says a lot about the appeal of this film. Baby boomers are more inclined to be fans of this comedy duo than Generation Xers. I am on the cusp of the two generations. I haven't seen a lot of Laurel and Hardy films, but I did watch them growing up. Slapstick comedy isn't necessarily my thing, but the two were certainly brilliant. But I'm not sure this film will appeal to younger audiences that don't have a sense of nostalgia attached to the characters. The film had very little objectionable material. I can't think of anything at first blush. Maybe cigarette smoking and an alcoholic drink or two constitute the rating. In any event, PG is about as tame as you will find these days. The run time is one hour, 37 minutes.
Stan & Ollie has some pacing issues, which is unusual for a film that only runs 97 minutes. The dialogue and performances were spot on. The script takes liberties with the truth, but captures the essence of the relationship between Stan Laurel and Ollie Hardy. This film has nostalgic appeal and will likely enjoy rave reviews from older audiences and a healthy yawn from younger. I enjoyed this film. It was imperfect, but the dialogue and delivery were enough for me to recommend seeing this on the big screen. 7.5/10.
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