2019 - The Highlights (lionsroar)

Films Watched and/or Reviewed for the First time in 2019

Note: Since Trophy Unlocked has to pay for most of the movies we see in the theaters and for most of the films we watch at home, we don’t have the scope of a newspaper reviewer. We don’t see everything that’s out, so our ratings of films are based on what we decide to spend our money on.

The Best in No Particular Order:

Stan & Ollie

One of the overlooked gems from last year, Stan & Ollie recounts the final tour of the comedy duo, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in the 1950s. No longer making films, the friends, who have been estranged at times, come together for one last set of shows in Great Britain and Ireland. We get a glimpse into what their relationship might have been like, part-business part-friendship but all genius. Both actors gave award-worthy performances. Too bad John C. Reilly doesn't do more roles like this one and less of the Holmes & Watson variety.

Avengers: Endgame

The finale for one of the longest film franchises, Avengers: Endgame manages to wrap up the MCU with a film that covers most of the bases. There is a certain finality to the film as many of the original characters come to the end of their contracts and we know they won't be reappearing in the next series. The biggest problem for Disney is will people still care now that the original series of 22 films has come to an end.

Yesterday

While this may not be the best film of the year, for me personally, it was a lot of fun. The premise is good, a down on his luck musician wakes up after an accident to realize he is the only person left alive who remembers the music of The Beatles, which happen to be my favorite rock band. While it doesn't necessarily hold water all the way through, the film does manage to touch the heart.

Downton Abbey

Oftentimes, the jump from the small screen to big doesn't work. Usually, they are modern remakes of the original series and add humor where it doesn't belong and are not true to the characters you remember. That is not the case with Downton Abbey, a big-screen sequel to the very successful British series about life in the household of an old manor which seems to be on its way to obsolescence. This film continues the story and is true to the characters with all of the original cast returning.

Joker

And now for something completely different. I chose Joker for this list based almost entirely on Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of the title character. Again, this is not a perfect film but Phoenix's performance makes up for most of it.

The Disappointments in No Particular Order:

Wonder Park

One of those films you want to like. It has a cute premise, it's bright and energetic but the story is not compelling enough to hold your attention for very long.

The Banana Splits Movie

Even my low expectations going in were not met. Never a big fan of the Banana Splits TV series but this will definitely drive a stake in the heart of this IP. Another example of a TV Series brought to the big screen only this time laughter and fun has been replaced with a badly executed horror.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The disjointed sequel trilogy comes to an end with a thump. Big budget, big production values but a story that doesn't seem to fit in with the two prior films. There is a twist but it seems to be wedged in rather than flowing naturally. The Skywalker Saga ends but it deserved better. One has to wonder where the franchise can go from here.

Slayer: The Repentless Killogy

Our annual movie day, the day after Christmas, started out with this short film from Slayer's latest concert film Blu-Ray. While the subject of death is nothing new to this band, this, I believe, marks their first and last time to make a movie. I really had no expectations though I wasn't really expecting this over-the-top gory kill-fest; not my cup of tea. However, the worst thing about the film is the story and the conclusion. Note: If you're telling the story with a certain character on a journey, he/she needs to be the one who concludes it. That's story-telling 101. Apparently, the writer/director of this film must have missed this basic element. Interspersed with performances by the band, The Repentless Killogy is otherwise a bad and bloody film.

Stubs - Stan & Ollie

Stan & Ollie (2018) Starring: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Nina Arianda, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Rufus Jones Directed by Jon S. Baird. Screenplay by Jeff Pope. Based, in part, on AJ Marriot’s book Laurel & Hardy: The British Tours. Produced by Faye Ward. Runtime: 97 minutes UK Color, Biography

Once one of the most famous comedy duos in Hollywood history, Laurel and Hardy were no longer making movies by 1953. Instead, they were appearing live on stage in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is this tour that is the backdrop for Stan & Ollie, a biopic that was released late last year.

Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Hardy (John C. Reilly) have a confrontation with
Hal Roach (Danny Huston) on the set of Way Out West. 

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly give spot-on impersonations of the famed comedy team, with Coogan taking the role of Stan Laurel and Reilly Oliver Hardy. While the film concentrates on the pair who are somewhat slowed by age, the film also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the boys in their heyday on the set of Way Out West (1937), and the famous dance number to The Avalon Boys performance of J. Leubrie Hill's "At the Ball, That's All.”

In the film, Laurel and Hardy do stage versions of sketches from such films as Berth Marks (1929), County Hospital (1932) and Way Out West, with a reference to The Music Box (1932) thrown in for good measure. If you’re unfamiliar with the work of Laurel and Hardy, then I would strongly recommend you search out these films on disc or YouTube so that seeing the reenactments will mean more to you.

By 1953, Hardy and Laurel were getting long in the tooth but they could still bring the laughs.

I can not say enough about Coogan’s and Reilly’s performances. They really bring these real-life characters into the modern world. You get a sense of their friendship and their disagreements. The film seems to take great care to present a faithful version of not only 1937 Hal Roach studios, with Danny Huston playing Roach, but also early 1950s England. There are little details that this film catches, including James Finlayson (Keith MacPherson), who appears in a fleeting part but is totally recognizable as the character actor who would appear in many of the comedy team’s films.

To give credit where credit is due, some of the transformation of Coogan and Reilly into Laurel and Hardy is due to the work of makeup supervisor Jeremy Woodhead and prosthetics designer Mark Coulier. Reilly was apparently covered from head to toe in prosthetics and a fat suit that took up to four hours a day to put on. The end results were apparently worth the effort as he is nearly a dead ringer for Hardy.

Despite the attention to detail, the film does take some liberties with the actual history of Laurel and Hardy. The film makes it seem that the duo had not worked together since Way Out West when in reality, that’s not true. There really was a film, Zenobia (1939), in which Hardy appeared solo and was paired with Harry Langdon (Richard Cant) during a contractual dispute Laurel had with Roach. However, rather than the end of the partnership, it was more an aberration. Together, they would move on to MGM and Fox and Laurel and Hardy would appear in more than a dozen films before their final one together, Atoll K (1951).

There are some other inaccuracies no doubt done for dramatic effect. This was not the boys' first appearance on a British stage. They, in fact, toured Britain four times in 1932, 1947, 1952 and 1954. And there was a film deal that fell through but that was during the 1947 tour, not the one as seen in the film. Still, the film seems to ring true despite these changes. Even their wives, Ida Kitaeva Laurel (Nina Arianda) and Lucille Hardy (Shirley Henderson) are well represented in portrayals that seem right, even though I know nothing about them at all.

Reilly and Coogan do a great job of capturing their subjects, Hardy and Laurel

The reason to see the film, even if you’re not familiar at all with the work of Laurel and Hardy, are the performances of Coogan and Reilly. They are truly great in these roles. They seem to capture Laurel and Hardy's looks, mannerisms, speech patterns as well as comedic timing. Truly a tour de force for both actors. It was as if they were born to play these roles. It’s nice to see Reilly doing such good work. Too often, it seems, he plays supporting roles to the likes of Will Ferrell [Note: both Reilly and Coogan appear in Holmes and Watson (2018)] when he is capable of doing much better work. Stan & Ollie is definitely worth going to see. And if you're not a fan of  Laurel and Hardy, it should at least encourage you to check out their body of work.