Director Jon S. Baird’s charmingly nostalgic comedy “Stan
& Ollie” shines a spotlight on the lesser-known final act in the careers of
legendary comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, played exceptionally by
Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. Occasionally
by-the-numbers as a biopic, the films works significantly better as both an
affectionate look back at a classic film era, and an honest look at the highs
and the lows of a lasting creative alliance.
During the
prime of their careers in the 1930s, Laurel and Hardy were Hollywood royalty,
but with their film offers ebbing far more often than flowing, in 1953 they
agree to embark on an overseas tour through the music halls of the UK. Laurel
has planned the tour to drum up enough publicity to pull together a film deal
for a comedy inspired by the legend of Robin Hood, which he hopes will be their
big comeback.
The pair are
a bit dispirited to find themselves performing in half-full, second-rate
theaters. But — being consummate professionals — they keep doing what they do
best, confident that the crowds will eventually find them again. And they’re
right, even if they occasionally have to stoop to cheesy publicity stunts to
earn the attention.
The
screenplay by Jeff Pope (“Philomena”) foregrounds the close relationship
between the two men — capturing the genuine friendship and affection, as well
as the age-old resentments that any people with so much shared history can
accumulate over the years. We learn that the largest rift between the two came
about after a period when Laurel’s contract was up and he decided to take
meetings with other studios, expecting and hoping Hardy would come along.
Instead, Hardy made the decision to briefly take on a new partner, and the
tension that developed as a result of that decision has never truly gone away.
The two men
are eventually joined on the tour by their wives, Lucille and Ida (Shirley
Henderson and Nina Arianda). Upon the women’s
arrival, Laurel and Hardy’s manager remarks that it’s like he’s gotten two acts
for the price of one, and he’s entirely correct. The chemistry between
Henderson and Arianda more than matches that of their
counterparts.
Arianda, who was so memorably
scene-stealing as a boozy socialite in “Florence Foster Jenkins,” continues to
demonstrate a knack for taking characters that might seem like punchlines on
the page and investing them with a real humanity. Her expert comedic timing
provides some of the most pure-hearted laughs within the largely melancholic
context of the film. The actress could have played Ida’s thick Russian accent
and cut-to-the-chase manner strictly for laughs, but she never loses sight of
Ida’s genuine love and respect for her husband and his career. It’s a marvelous
performance.
The straight
man in the duo’s act, Hardy in many ways plays that role in life as well. He’s
content with how things have gone in their lives and is more than happy to take
things easy, letting Lucille fuss over him. Underneath heavy makeup and
prosthetics, Reilly still manages to shine, never getting lost in the effects
Coogan’s Laurel, meanwhile, thrives when deep into the
creative process, living for the moments when the pair are workshopping ideas
for a new gag. The two men may have their issues with one another, but all the
bruised egos and wounded pride melt away when they’re in front an audience, and
it’s understandable why neither would be in a hurry to let that go.
A gentle
comedy offering a bittersweet portrait of the kind of long term creative
partnerships that become their own kind of marriage, “Stan & Ollie” is an
understated and affecting portrayal of friendship, loyalty, and the fickle
nature of fame.
This article appears in Jan 23-29, 2019.
