[wpdevart_youtube]D2zdFwgUYBg[/wpdevart_youtube]STAN AND OLLIE ***
Dir: Jon S. Baird (12A, 97 mins)
Way Out West, Sons Of The Desert, A Chump At Oxford. Comedy classics that have stood the test of time, starring two of cinema’s most beloved funnymen Laurel and Hardy. This biopic chronicles their twilight, as they were trying to rekindle their film careers in 1953 touring around post-war Britain. A prosthetically-enhanced John C Reilly assays an Oliver Hardy struggling with ill health, whilst Steve Coogan plays still-driven perfectionist Stan Laurel in a bittersweet snapshot of the pair. Jeff Pope, the writer of Philomena, presents an affectionate relationship, though one not without its stresses and strains, creating a very personable portrait of two men who loved and respected each other. Classic slapstick is woven in and there is strong support from Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda as their respective wives Lucille Hardy and Ida Laurel, whilst Rufus Jones as a dodgy impresario. Strong performances from Coogan and Reilly too, inevitably leaving you wanting to watch the original Stan and Ollie all over again. Opens Jan 11