Although life is thought to be a solo and individual journey, one wants to balance himself with someone else. Cinema is like that, after all cinema is like life. In some films the leading role is for two. Certainly, when one’s name is mentioned, the other comes to mind. Even if that duo who didn’t leak water came and separated their way, it is still not possible to remove them from our memories.
Inspired by A. J. Marriot’s 1993 book Laurel and Hardy: The British Tours, Stan & Ollie takes the final stages of the career of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, the world’s most famous comedy duo. Jon S. Baird, the director of the film, respects the duo with their natural talent for comedy, while focusing on the behind-the-scenes lives that most of us probably don’t know.
Stan and Oliver, also known as ko Fatty and Skinny, in some countries, came together during the silent cinema period and became the biggest comedy stars of Hollywood in the 1930s. It is said that after the World Wars, which created individuals with no hope for the future, it was a consolation to people who suffered from troubles, suffered from depression, suffered from their naturalness and humorous productions. The mass laughter of the comedians provided a therapeutic effect in the society and this interest brought them to the top of the cinema world. In the years that followed, the comedy duo, which was well-liked by audiences and critics, began to watch films across the globe.
The film opened in 1937, the pinnacle of their career. To tell you the truth, I was surprised that I never imagined Lorel and Hardi to be so talkative. With Stan’s stand-up in the locker rooms, after a six-minute uninterrupted plan, the duo wandered into the studio, where they saw Romans, cowboys and dancers, behind-the-scenes crews and sets of movies. are not satisfied. Stan’s contract is ending and he thinks they deserve a better payment despite so much work and success.
This leads to a friction between Hal Roach and Stan, the producer of his films, while Oliver tries to find a middle ground between the two, but Stan says that he and Oliver are going to start their own production company and bluffing the situation in a way. . Between 1926 and 1940, the couple worked for Hal Roach and ultimately parted ways with their former producers.
Stars also fall
The film, which went back 16 years after an intermittent leap following the confrontation of Hal Roach and Stan, made a new start in 1953. In 1953, Stan and Oliver are no longer box office giants. As they get older, they are also discredited as movie stars. After leaving the Hal Roach studio, they founded their own production company, but they could not repeat their success under the guidance of Hal Roach. However, the spell between the two remains unbroken. Although the story tells the twilight years of comedians, this tragicomic biographical film gives hope for the future with a poignant effort to revive their careers and save their friendship without knowing that they will become legendary in film history.
The show must go on
The comedians, who became almost as hopeless as the characters they played in their films about 16 years after their summit, now admit that they will no longer have a job in Hollywood. They also make their way to England to revive their careers. If the stage shows here go well enough, they hope to make other films by providing them with a resource. But when they arrive in England, the life that awaits them is not what they desire. With the decline in living standards starting with their lives in third-class hostels, the stresses of their age, health and professional frustration begin to create tensions between the two.
They think they will perform in the UK’s best theater halls and have to play in half-empty halls on tours from Newcastle to Glasgow. Nevertheless, a show is a show that never compromises the professionalism of the duo challenging regions, small spaces, despite the sparse crowd in the halls perform their performances in the best way to make the audience laugh. When a simple media reminder that comedians are still standing after their organizers in their UK tour convinced the duo that a little publicity would be good, when the effect of the media hit the box office as a bonus, their living conditions begin to improve somewhat again.
A challenging friendship story
As the film mentions, it is very exciting to see the rare friendship of the two comedians from this window, beyond the association in their professional lives. What they do to make people laugh is sincere and sincere. Some of the slapstick * roles on stage are in their daily routine; it is really pleasant to think that they exhibit on the street, in a waiting room or in a crowd to get rid of the people around them.
They would actually perform these roles not only for the crowd, but also to feed each other and even make them laugh. Therefore, it was not surprising to me that in their private lives and relationships with each other, they acted with the same instincts as the characters they played. The film shows that Oliver’s relationship with the two friends who are so close to each other has come to a rupture when they enter a difficult process due to routines that start to hinder due to their health problems. In this context, the film tells a lot about friendship, understanding and love with its understanding of good day and bad day.
New generation fans waiting
“Stan & Ollie definitely is definitely a movie that suits the spirit of comedians and the era. Some scenes are not more convincing than the backdrop used when shooting Way Out West. But Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly’s chemistry with each other is incredibly harmonious. The performances that comedians are successfully internalized. Hence, it will not be difficult to accept Coogan and Reilly as Laurel and Hardy. A generation that is not part of a new generation, but a new generation of television.
In summary, I liked the film very much. If I put aside the nostalgia of the work, it makes a very interesting look for people like me who don’t know much about the duo’s life with its story that makes them smile and touch.
Slapstick: It is the name given to the American comedy films that have become common and especially common after the Second World War. These films usually consist of improvisations based on certain patterns. Jokes are based on falls, violence and environmental damage. It is a kind of comedy in which the actors perform exaggerated and often careless or irrational acts.
Stan & Ollie (2019)
Directed by: Jon S. Baird
Starring: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Shirley Henderson, Nina Arianda, Rufus Jones, Danny Huston, Joseph Balderrama, John Henshaw, Stephanie Hyam, Rebecca Yeo, Toby Sedgwick
Screenplay by: Jeff Pope, ‘A.J.’ Marriot
Production Design by: John Paul Kelly
Cinematography by: Laurie Rose
Film Editing by: Úna Ní Dhonghaíle, Billy Sneddon
Costume Design by: Guy Speranza
Set Decoration by: Claudia Parker
Art Direction by: David Hindle, Astrid Sieben
Music by: Rolfe Kent
MPAA Rating: PG for some language, and for smoking.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: December 28, 2018 (limited)
Visits: 82
