One of the sweetest films I’ve seen in a long time, Stan and Ollie captures the essence of the deep friendship which made the cinematic exploits of Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) so memorable and touching.  Movies about movie legends often try to display their subjects to intense behind-the-scenes scrutiny and shed harsh light on their personal lives so that their flaws and scandals are exposed.  There is validity to that approach, but it ignores the fact that movie legends are legends because we respect and love the personas that we see, and we don’t really want to see those personas destroyed or reconstructed.  At least I don’t.

Jon S. Baird’s film exposes a little bit of the rancor that developed when Hardy wouldn’t support Laurel in their dealings with cheap producer Hal Roach (Danny Huston), but it primarily invests itself in the sometimes uneasy friendship between the two men, and their wives, on a 1953 reunion trip to Britain.  The trip reunited Laurel and Hardy on stages across the United Kingdom, ostensibly to raise money and attention for another movie, but they (and we) realize before long that it is really a farewell tour, a chance for these two performers to have a little fun before saying goodbye to themselves, and show business, once and for all.

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are marvelous as Laurel and Hardy; their acting, attitudes and makeup are first-rate.  The film is informative and very effective demonstrating why these men loved each other and how they provided audiences with joy.  It is a gentle movie about two gentlemen who became anachronisms as popular entertainment passed them by.  Nothing explosive is revealed except for buried resentment, yet the story resonates with genuine feeling as these men try to find a way to settle issues between themselves and their wives while they still can.

This is a wonderful tribute to one of the most popular duos in film history.  It’s been about eighty years since Laurel and Hardy’s greatest successes, and this movie provides a warm, affectionate way for audiences to reconnect with them, or to discover them for the first time.  It’s a charming, sometimes boisterous glimpse at performers at the end of their performing lives, hoping to get one last chance to bring their own brand of magic to the masses, and it succeeds vividly.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  5 April 2019.