"Stan & Ollie"

It’s hard for someone of my generation to believe that there are people who don’t even know who legendary comedians Laurel and Hardy were, having been brought up in a world where, apparently, copyright issues kept their films off mainstream TV for many years. If there’s any justice, Jon S. Baird’s “Stan & Ollie” will help remedy this woeful situation; as well as being a beautiful work of art in its own right.

The film, scripted by Steve Coogan’s long-time collaborator Jeff Pope, takes some liberties with historical fact, showing Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, some years after the peak of their Hollywood popularity, touring relatively small venues in the U.K. in the hope of resurrecting their film career. As well as money worries, the relationship between the two is a tad fractious (although not nearly as poisonous as that of other famed comedy duos), and Oliver’s health is failing.

"Stan & Ollie"

As good as Coogan is as Stan, John C. Reilly is the real revelation, simply disappearing (under significant quantities of make-up) into Oliver, Pope’s script cleverly allowing the pair to riff on their comedy business in real-life scenarios. Shirley Henderson and, more showily, Nina Arianda, are excellent as their supportive wives, and Rufus Jones is suitably smarmy as impresario Bernard Delfont.

This is a flawlessly realised tale of love and respect between two men; that rare film which has you laughing with tears in your eyes.

"The Favourite"

One wouldn’t expect a conventional historical drama from Yorgos Lanthimos, given the matter-of-fact surreal creepiness of his oeuvre (“Dogtooth” being a personal favourite, with “The Lobster” - basically a documentary about being single - almost too painful to watch); “The Favourite” doesn’t disappoint.  

It focusses on a crucial period in the life of Queen Anne (1665-1714), last monarch of the House of Stuart. Olivia Colman stars as the much-bereaved and ailing ruler, whose long-time (very) intimate friend and political advisor, Rachel Weisz’s Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, finds herself in competition for royal favours with her own cousin, the impoverished Abigail, played by Emma Stone, who is more interested in her own well-being than matters of state.

Olivia Colman

Colman is alternately monstrous and pitiable as the floundering Queen, with Weisz on excellent glacial form, and Stone also highly impressive as her desperate and subtly manipulative rival. The 18^th century interiors are beautifully photographed, Lanthimos’ lush visual style and use of music echoing that of Peter Greenaway; he also injects numerous dislocatory elements, such as inappropriate dancing and anachronistic dialogue.

Ultimately this is a tragic-comic portrait of a lost woman, privileged but isolated, and ill-used by all who surround her. “The Favourite” is crudely beautiful, and well worthy of all the awards for which it is being tipped.

"Duckie" / Theatrical Highlights of 2018

My last theatrical experience of 2018 was “Duckie” at the Wales Millennium Stadium’s Weston Studio; a charming children’s show by Le Gateau Chocolat, the well-known cross-dressing Anglo-Nigerian baritone. It is a take on “The Ugly Duckling” which it is easy to imagine contained autobiographical elements, since the themes were outsider-dom, and making the most of one’s talents and awkward differences.

 

Le Gateau Chocolat (photo: Manuel Vason)

I wrote up my personal highlights of the year as part of the annual, UK-wide review from the British Theatre Guide; I sincerely hope that 2019 will see some of my own projects coming to fruition.