Review of Stan & Ollie (2018) by Ajzeg01 — 15 Sep 2019

This was actually the movie that I wanted to see the most back at the beginning of 2019 (It had its limited release in 2018 but had its wide release in 2019 so it counts as a 2019 movie.) but it wasn’t playing anywhere near me for long so I didn’t get a chance to see it.

It never showed up on any streaming services I have either. Luckily, WestJet had it on their streaming service so I watched it on the flight home from my Los Angeles trip. This movie is a biopic about the legendary comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, but it isn’t about how they started out like most biopics.

This movie actually takes place in the 1950s when they were doing a tour of the UK, long after their heyday. It’s actually very interesting and well-made. The performances were excellent and the prosthetics on John C Reilly were incredible! I’m not sure why they didn’t just cast someone who actually looks like Oliver Hardy, but I love practical effects and makeup so I’ll take what I can get nowadays! This movie was not as much of a comedy as I was expecting it to be, but the little comedy that it did have was very enjoyable.

Much like the duo the film is based on, the movie’s comedy style is very old-fashioned and vaudevillian with lots of slapstick and silent comedy, including recreations of some of Laurel and Hardy’s famous acts.

It was very unique. Overall, this is a wonderful movie that I recommend to any fan of the comedians of old. It’s a loving tribute, but I think people not so familiar with older movies would enjoy it as well! It’s just good.