Saturday, April 27, 2019

'Stan & Ollie' is a genuinely touching movie.

When it comes to my knowledge of the Laurel & Hardy comedy duo from the classical Hollywood era, I didn't know much about them. Even though I had seen many of their films, I didn't know almost anything about them as human beings or about their personal lives.

After all, pretty much all that I knew about Stan Laurel / Oliver Hardy was that they did slapstick movies when movies were still black and white. This was when the movie industry and the film technology was still developing and trying find itself.

Nevertheless, once I noticed that a biopic movie about these two was released, I had to see it. I wanted to see it because this way I would get to learn more about these two and there was also a good chance that the movie would be pretty entertaining.

Having now seen 'Stan & Ollie' a couple of days ago with my friend, I have to say that I'm happy that we gave the film a chance. The movie as a whole delivered, even though there were some problems with its screenplay that need to be addressed.

In any case, when it comes to the film, the story in 'Stan & Ollie' is basically about Laurel and Hardy's last tour together in the UK. It's about them trying to find an audience for their theatrical act and the duo trying to get their final film financed.

Not surprisingly, over the course of the film's story, things don't always go the way one would expect. There are struggles in the film (personal, financial, health) and how their dream about their 'Robin Hood' comedy doesn't seem to materialize.

So when it comes those things that I like about the movie, one of the best things about 'Stan & Ollie' is that it looks amazing. The way the film is shot takes us right back to the era of classical Hollywood movies (it takes place during the late 30s and mid 50s).

After all, when I watched the film, I couldn't help but to be in awe about how authentic everything looked. Everything from the set designs and make up to sounds & to music was great and it felt like we were living with these characters again.

Another really good thing about the movie has to do with its characters and acting in it. There's no question that pretty much every actor in 'Stan & Ollie' does a really good job over the course of the film (none of them are particularly unlikable).

Yet, especially when it comes to Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as Laurel & Hardy, they did a great job here. The chemistry between them is great and they manage to portray the duo with dignity without ever going over the top in their mannerisms.

At the same time, even though the movie is mostly really solid, it has to be said that there were some minor problems in it. These minor problems with 'Stan & Ollie' had to do with its story and its screenplay (the movie is roughly 90 minutes in length).

After all, at least in my opinion, the script clearly lacked direction and purpose during its first act and its first half. It felt like the writers didn't pay enough attention to the film's catalyst, which lead to the structure of the story feeling a bit off in some parts.

Fortunately, once the movie gets past its problems in its first half and gets to its more dramatic parts in its second half, it manages to take off. This is when the story gets really emotionally involving and you can't help but to feel for the characters.

In that sense, when I look at the film as a whole, it's clear that even though are some minor problems with the story, as a whole 'Stan & Ollie' delivers. It manages to keep you entertained and respects these two comedians and their lives.

After all, the movie not only shows the talent and the professionalism of these two, but it also gives us a chance to look at them as human beings. The film makes you understand why Laurel & Hardy worked so well together and how much they appreciated each other.

So in the end, if you haven't seen the movie yet and didn't know that much about Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, you should definitely give 'Stan & Ollie' a go. You should watch the film and get to know more about these two wonderful characters.

After all, even though these two made movies almost 100 years ago, that doesn't mean that their material has gotten old. You shouldn't be thinking that just because movies were black & white and grainy those days, they didn't know what they were doing.

On the contrary, even by today's standards, especially their theatrical acts are really clever slapstick comedy that feels fresh. It feels fresh and shows that comedy that is based on the right stuff and is made with care is timeless and will never become outdated or too old.

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