Review of Withnail & I (1987) by None N — 29 Jan 2011

Okay, who's up for a second trip to the Lake District this week?

Whereas my review of earlier this week featured an adventure with four children, this film features two out of work and unemployable actors in the late 1960s, Withnail, portrayed by Richard E. Grant and "I" (known as Marwood but never referred to as such on screen), portrayed by Paul McGann. Stuck in a dingy flat in London with no heating and only the prospect of an alcohol (and in Withnail's case, lighter fluid) and drugs sodden existence, they decide (with a little subterfuge on Withnail's part) to borrow Withnail's Uncle Monty's cottage for a holiday in the Lake District and clean themselves up.

When they arrive, the cottage is no better than the existence they've left, and with no food, no heating, rubbish weather and a lack of a hospitable welcome from the locals, can Withnail and "I"'s friendship survive the holiday... and more importantly, can they find a pub with sufficient stocks of booze for the both of them?

This film is one which you either get or you don't. Bruce Robinson's darkly comic film has become a classic of British screen and with good reason.

Apart from "I", Robinson's cast of characters are bleak... some of them unlkeable, but they all have elements of gallows humour amongst them. The sign of a good comedy script is one that is quotable, and Withnail and I have quotes in spades, a lot of which I would not care to mention for fear of insulting somebody by accident.

Paul McGann underplays the role of the sensitive "I", who is our voice for the film. He tries to be the voice of reason for an out of control Withnail, who becomes increasingly out of control as the film progresses. Yes, "I" probably drinks as much and takes as many drugs as Withnail, but he not prone to Withnail's manic mood swings and over dramatic behaviour.

Richard E. Grant is perfectly cast as Withnail. The character drinks too much, appears to take drugs by the pharmacy load, is overly operatic and from reading between the lines of the script, has no acting talent whatsoever (the character I mean, not Richard E. Grant who is magnificent). The most telling part of Withnail's character and his friendship with "I" is left for the end of this film when quotes the "What a piece of work is man" soliliquoy from Hamlet - beautiful.

Unfortunately, Richard Griffiths' character of Uncle Monty is out of step with how we should perceive and understand homosexuality with a fruity, over the top performance even, at times, lustful performance. However, scratch the surface and there is a tragic, pathetic and lonely character lurking underneath and this is what should be considered rather than Monty's excesses.

Supporting cast is also excellent, particularly Ralph Brown as "Danny The Drug Dealer" who definitely looks and behaves like he's had too much of his own products and Michael Elphick as the belligerent poacher, Jake, who Withnail offends and spends the majority of the film trying to avoid for fear that Jake may come in the dead of night to kill both him and "I" in a period of comic paranoia.

It's a great film... not to everyone's cup of tea, but well worth the title "classic".