I was looking forward to see this new movie signed by the newcomer Jon Baird which represents
a very big homage to one of the most iconic duo of the last century ! The movie
has as main characters, the british Steve Coogan and the american John C Reilly which IMHO are both very well fitted for this role due to their aestethic resemblance but also for their accents and movements.
The direction is extremely smooth and interesting, the camera goes along with the
characters using pure sequence plans trying to impress how they really away from the stage.
What i mainly like of this movie is that it is not focused on their hilarious sketches but rather
it's focused on the duo facing their private lives and their friendship which often is
close to vacillate for money or for life choices.
Stanley Laurel, the little one, is represented as the most sensitive one, he is unquiet, solitary, smart but he knows misery and he knows that they have a good chance to raise up money trough shows and apparitions, so he often ague with directors or show managers about money resulting in being fired or unwelcome. Anyway he hides a big hearth and he is the brain of the duo since he is something like a writer/screenwriter and he often is in charge of create new jokes or new sketches.
Oliver Hardy is instead more fluffy, companion and take life easier, and without his physical aspect he would not have gained so much popularity... i mean in order to be a fine humorist you need to be a bit sad and depressed, and Oliver was not that kind of man.
The movie director has been brave, because instead of deliver a comic movie full of their famous sketch he choose the road to make a drama movie and show the personalities of them more than their comic side.
Scenographies and costumes are extremely detailed, from the short mustache of Hardy to the famous hat-joke move of Laurel so the frame itself is present and is not shallow.
As always, i'm worried to spoil something so please yourself and watch this movie... enjoy !