Last night I was invited to a VIP showing of the new film Stan & Ollie by my good friend Ross Owen (who was a consultant and knowledge expert on Laurel and Hardy for the film). And what a privilege it was to see it.
For years, I have been a golden age film fan, but that has chiefly been in the realm of silent cinema and less to do with sound pictures. I like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd because they combined charm and humour with a ridiculous slapstick style that you usually only see in cartoons. So I have been less inclined towards golden age cinema of the 30’s-50’s, so this film has really honed in on my interest in that area.
Do you remember the film known as The Artist from 2011? What that film done was bring silent cinema back to the public consciousness. In that sense, Stan & Ollie, for all intents and purposes, strives to bring the golden age of sound comedy cinema back to the public consciousness and bring a new generation closer to this incredibly simple and beautiful double act. Starring Steve Coogan (Stan Laurel) and John C. Reilly (Ollie Hardy), the film’s plot surrounds the two actors in a period of time where they struggle to maintain a certain relevance among new and rising stars such as Norman Wisdom and Abbot Costello. They embark on a gruelling comedy tour all around (including Glasgow) in order to raise funds for a new film project in the works. But the plans don’t all work out in the end and the rapport between Stan & Ollie is strained when the two of them disagree on creative decisions they made 16 years previously.
The comedy in this film is stellar. A particular highlight was that Stan’s wife would keep taking alcohol away from him to help with his abstinence, but took no notice of her own drinking in the process. Their wives formed a double act all their own, and could arguably be seen as funnier than the main duo in some instances. The choreography for scenes, such as the Ollie in hospital bed scene and the scene where they are both at a train station and can’t find one and another is simply fantastic. It is not overly a biopic, but some elements can feel like that. You get a sense that Stan was the driving force behind their act and that Ollie was the one that could bounce ideas back off Stan. Although their relationship was strained when work was tough, the film is keen to point out through several different encounters, that the duo are still as strong as ever.
On top of the humour perfectly encapsulated in the film through acting, direction and writing, there is a height of poignancy, especially at the end when Ollie hits hard with health problems. But the show has to go on.
Out of all the films I have seen this decade, I have never been more touched and tickled by a film as I was this one. The art direction, acting and script were phenomenal and Ross Owen’s knowledge is a testament to the power and authenticity of the piece. It is a truly refreshing film in a cinema world where we often got hogwash and uninspired works. Highly recommended for classic film buffs, and film fans all over.
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