I know nothing about Laurel And Hardy. Actually, I take that back, I know there names are Laurel and Hardy but apart from this my knowledge of their lives and work is limited to say the least. However, from the very first time I saw the trailer for this film something drew me to it. Maybe it was the actors, maybe it was the set design, maybe it was that it is a British film. Whatever it was I made sure to make a note to see this film and I am very glad I did. Stan and Ollie (2018) is a film full of charm, wit and humour but is also a moving film with emotional depth which is helped by the acting prowess of the cast. The film opens showing Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) on the set of on of their new films and discussing their money troubles as despite being two of the most popular actors in Hollywood they are earning less then there counterparts. This leads to an argument between Laurel and film producer Hal Roach (Danny Huston) which ends in Laurel being fired and Hardy making a new film a new partner. The film then cuts to Laurel and Hardy's tour around the UK in 1953. The rest of the film follows the trials and tribulations of this tour. Half empty theatres, failing health, bickering wives, a fallen through film and several arguments all lend themselves to an entertaining and gripping story which is much more a focus on the relationship between Laurel and Hardy then a retrospective on their careers.
The first thing to point out in this film is the exquisite set design and costuming. They capture the time period of the film brilliantly but are also lavish enough that nothing ever looks boring or half arsed. Every single set and costume looks like it has had thought and love poured into it in order to give it an authentic feel and it is something I really appreciate. It helps that the eras and locations in the film are ones with which I am familiar and also that I resonate with and enjoy the style of. The film opens up on a Hollywood set during the Golden Ear of Hollywood and I immediately I am hooked. I love the whole aesthetic of classic Hollywood, The lavish sets and props appeal to me on a visual level, and the film does a fantastic job of showing these off in a creative way with a continuous tracking shot with no cuts,starting in the dressing of Laurel and Hardy and finishing on the set of their film. It is a very well done piece of film-making which allows for conversation a little exposition to be given to the audience without giving it all the focus as it may have done if the scene had been cut. By continuing the shot it doesn't give full focus on any one thing or person in the scene allowing you to get a sense of the look and feel of the film straight off the bat. Cutting forward to the UK portion of the film and the look of film does change a bit but still looks fantastic. The cut from 1940s Hollywood to 1950s Britain (another era whose aesthetic I find particularly pleasing) does allow for a change in the colour pallet of the film. The opening of the film is colourful bright and pleasant with the California Sun high in the blue sky. The next third of the film is much more bleak with the "beautiful" British greyscale overcasting the much more dimly lit and blankly coloured sets. This change in the look of the film serves its purpose as not only is it meteorologically correct but it matches the mood and of the characters having gone from optimistic and on top of the world to downtrodden and hanging on to their careers. It is a small and subtle detail that wouldn't be immediately noticeable to most but it does give the film an extra layer of quality.
The acting in this film is pretty much top notch across the board. Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are both fantastic in their roles as Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy respectively. They have a chemistry that makes all their interactions seem real and also allows for the emotional peaks and troughs of the relationship to really hit home and allow you to become invested. I can;t say how accurately they portray the real Laurel and Hardy having never seen any of their work but the characters they do portray are charming, funny, witty, loveable and relatable and the relationship that they have with each other on screen is fantastic to watch. Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda as Lucille Hardy and Ida Kitaeva Laurel are also both very good and are almost as an entertaining a duo as there husbands in the film. They rarely see eye to ye and this leads to some entertaining bickering between the two, but there is also clearly a lot of respect and love for each other under the surface which both actors are able to portray and pull off. There are a few weak moments in the film. Some of the jokes don't land how you may hope they will, and the crowd laughter that is played over the scenes of Laurel and Hardy performing can feel a little awkward at times. One performance in the film also seems a little out of place. Although the film is a comedy it focuses much more on the dramatic aspects of the story with an underlying layer of comedy, which makes the performance of Rufus Jones as tour organiser Bernard Delfont really stand out as being not in line with the rest of the performances. Jones is hamming it up in the film, being both a blundering fool and a money hungry narcissist, but despite it being almost to much for the film it really works. Delfont is possibly the funniest character in the film. He has the best lines and is always entertaining whenever he is on screen. It works mainly because his role in the film is fleeting and never overshadowing. He is only a bit part character and so despite his performance being a bit over the top it does work in the grand scheme of things.
Stan and Ollie is a film that I didn't really know what to expect when going into it. Having no prior knowledge of the work of the titular characters was something that concerned me going in, but the cast being what it is led me to believe that it would be good regardless. There are moments where my lack of knowledge was a hindrance but these were at a minimal and what I actually found when watching the film was a story full of charm, great performances and laughs that I would recommend to almost anyone. It is a film that will put a smile on your face and keep you entertained, and it has achieved something which I feel may be a reoccurring theme from people who see this film, and that is that I want to watch some Laurel and Hardy films now.