You know, Laurel & Hardy. Stan and Ollie. The "Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" guys. (By the way, it is "nice," and not "fine," as some mistakenly quote.)
It wasn't that I wanted to watch the comedy duo. I mean, they're fine and all, but I wouldn't have scheduled my day around one of their films. Mostly I watched them because I had to. Where I grew up in the 1970s -- in south-central West Virginia -- I could pick up only a couple of channels with our TV antenna. So, I know it was either the local PBS station or WOAY that fed me fed me a healthy helping of Laurel & Hardy shorts, hours of The Three Stooges, episodes of the Little Rascals, and a bunch of western serials.
I liked the Stooges best. But Laurel & Hardy were a close second.
Most interesting to me about Laurel & Hardy was the absurdity of their symmetry. The two characters are strikingly different, especially in their physical presentation, yet they often mirrored each other in movement. And they did this with impeccable timing and precision.
Watching them was like watching a ballet (but without the tutus.)
Directed by Jon S. Baird and starring Steve Coogan (Stan) and John C. Reilly (Ollie), Stan & Ollie tells the dramatic story of legends coming to understand their careers are ending. It's difficult for both men to process, and for most of the film they refuse to try. The duo go out on a playhouse tour and push themselves physically and emotionally day after day; not for vanity, it seems, but to remain relevant.
Coogan and Reilly are terrific in their roles. Each seems to channel his character, and both show a wide emotional range during the story arc.
You don't have to know about or even like Laurel & Hardy to enjoy this flick. It is poignant without being sentimental.
Oliver Hardy: "I'll miss us when we're gone."
Stan Laurel: "So will you."
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