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So I too finally got to see this charming film yesterday. I pretty much agree with everything Ray said. It is true that there was just that little bit extra missing from the actual expressions on the two stars' faces when going for the 'look', especially the intensity of Stan's smile in particular.
Paul, I think it goes beyond a look. I think it strikes at the characters' inner realities. Reilly almost seemed to be playing "Ollie" instead of the real Babe. And Coogan let Stan's (concocted) inner conflict over his "Robin Hood" deception and over Babe's 1939 treachery overtake his overall good nature.
And I also expected slightly better of Coogan in one respect. His performance felt to me better when playing 'real' Stan with the similar vocal drawl which they both possess, than when he was playing Stan performing on stage, and I almost expected the reverse as he is a good impressionist. I felt a similar mistake that most impressionists make when doing Stan - the more obvious gestures rather than the subtle ones. This comes across both when posing with the girls and the car, and when we got the imagined Robin Hood scene (an otherwise nice touch), and add to that aspects of when they do the dance on stage. Mind, when 'Ollie' looks at the camera in the Robin Hood scene I thought "about time", though again I think he could have looked a little more exasperated.
I hope others on here don't take this as too much of a criticism. I love the film. But when you're a diehard you tend to look a bit deeper than most, and we're never satisfied! I reckon they are still the best ever performers to do the boys, obviously because it's a serious attempt for a genuine biopic rather than the usual variety show numbers. But it's the reason that I've never bought any of the many ceramic figurines so common, of L&H. I've never seen one that actually looks enough like them for me. Most of these people think that as long as one's fatter than the other and they are both wearing bowlers it's fine.
Having said that I was recently given a doorstop in their shape, and was going to donate to the my tent as a raffle prize... but it's too good a doorstop! That's my excuse anyway and I'm stuck with it..
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On talking pictures channel in uk, sat morning at 5.25am is laurel and Hardy: Home movies
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