Stan & Ollie is a touching, warm-hearted tribute to a business partnership that became an enduring friendship and a Hollywood legend. It works as an inside-showbiz story about comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, and as a portrait of two men and the lives they lived together on and off-screen. Steve Coogan (Philomena, The Trip) is Stan Laurel (the skinny one) and John C. Reilly (Chicago) dons heavy makeup to become Oliver Hardy (the fat one). Both turn in terrific work in this endearing comic-drama. Coogan dials into Laurel’s subtle mannerisms, and Reilly plays up the sweet-hearted nature of Hardy, and the beady eyes that are windows into his gentle soul. “Thanks to the subtle brilliance of Reilly and Coogan, even someone who's never heard of Laurel and Hardy would likely see how magical these two were together,” say Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times. The script by Jeff Pope cleverly gives the two actors room to stage some of Laurel and Hardy’s best bits, whether they’re performing them for audiences or living their material day-to-day. The film opens in 1937 when Laurel and Hardy are at the top of their game in Hollywood, their films adored by millions, but unfortunately, business matters begin to interfere with their relationship. The film then switches to 1953 when Laurel and Hardy have bottomed out of Hollywood (Abbott and Costello have taken their place) and the pair is on the road in Europe, performing on tour to small audiences in the hopes of raising money for a comeback film based on Robin Hood. The nature of their friendship is tested on the road, and they’re forced to confront truths about their personal and professional dealings. Director Jon S. Baird is clearly a fan of Laurel and Hardy, but not so much that he’s afraid to probe their relationship with one another. “Whether or not you’re a Laurel and Hardy fan is immaterial: Stan & Ollie has plenty to say about the things that bring us together, and the things that keep us together,” says Adam Graham of the Detroit News. 1:37. Rated PG for some language and smoking.