With their golden era long behind them, comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy embark on a variety hall tour of Britain and Ireland. Despite the pressures of a hectic schedule, and with the support of their wives Lucille and Ida – a formidable double act in their own right – the pair’s love of performing, as well as for each other, endures as they secure their place in the hearts of their adoring public.
"It’s hard to articulate just how successful and famous comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were in their heyday. Together, Laurel & Hardy starred in over 100 films, many of them box office smashes. Their cartoonish personae and impish schtick, with the rotund Hardy constantly at the receiving end of the sticklike Laurel’s oblivious gags, fit in practically any situation. They were master comedians working at the top of their game.
But all stars must fall. Jon S. Baird’s new biopic Stan & Ollie finds the two legends at the end of their careers, still as funny as ever but struggling to find an audience now that comedy has moved on, and acts like Abbott & Costello rule the entertainment world. It sounds melancholy, and sometimes it is, but Baird has nothing but warmth in his heart for these two comedy maestros. The film is as funny and charming a Hollywood biopic as you’re ever likely to find.
Stan & Ollie muddles up the history a bit, as all biopics do, but it’s a film without any meaningful flaws. Every character is wonderfully realized, every performance is spectacular. You’ll laugh all the way through, you’ll cry by the end, and you’ll see the brilliance of Laurel & Hardy come back to life via the very same cinematic magic that made them legends in the first place."
Coutesy - William Bibbiani, IGN
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