STAN & OLLIE – Rated PG – 1 hr. 37 mins
DIRECTOR: Jon S. Baird
WRITER: Jeff Pope
STARRING: John C. Reilly, Steve Coogan, Shirley Henderson, and Nina Arianda
Venturing back in to the movie archives of yesteryear, we find that comedic movie legends Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) and his co-hart, both on and off the screen and stage, Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) both find themselves in the downward spiral of their illustrious career.
As they attempt to make a comeback for their adoring fans, Laurel & Hardy set out, with wives Lucille (Shirley Henderson) and Ida (Nia Arianda) eventually in tow too, to do a stage tour of England… while also in hopes of jump starting their famous movie career once again too.
But as our comedic geniuses soon find, even with all of their adoring fans around the world still coming to see them in droves, their day in the sun, and the limelight of the big screen has definitely diminished. Now with Hardy’s ailing health becoming an issue, and Laurel’s inability to move on without his friend by his side…they both must face the reality it seems that “All good things must come to an end” …
I give STAN & OLLIE a rating between MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN and WAIT AND CATCH THIS FILM ON DVD! If you are a big fan of either John C. Reilly, or Steve Coogan for that matter, or if you love incredible true-life stories combined with picture-perfect performances, along with as much nostalgia as they could put upon the screen, then you must see this truly heart-felt story on a big screen near you. Reilly and Coogan are impeccably cast as the dynamic duo of vaudeville ~ and motion pictures ~ and their performances throughout this film will leave you feeling rather melancholy, as they whisk you away into the comedic joys of this partnership, and into the pain and anguish they are both faced with in their declining years. From the wistfulness of a time gone by, to a friendship that somehow manages to stand the test of time, STAN & OLLIE is truly a complete “treasure of a film”. But, if you don’t have any point of reference to these fine gentleman, or their comedic skills ~ or if you aren’t as taken as I am with experiencing the joy and excitement of “days gone by”, then you might not feel as giddy as I did experiencing this film, thus leaving me to suggest that you might be happier catching this film when it hits on DVD in a few short weeks. But by the same standpoint, if you are in any way intrigued to see these incredible actors giving award-worthy performances, playing these world-famous comedians, then maybe you should step out of your comfort zone a little bit this weekend, and go catch STAN & OLLIE at a theater near you anyway…
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 