Review of Withnail & I (1987) by Philip B — 17 Jul 2009
Withnail and I has minimal plot (two unemployed actors go on holiday), grainy cinematography and paints a very grim picture of desperation turning to alcoholism.
It's also one of the funniest films ever made.
The dialogue in W&I is either bladder-botheringly funny or strangely insightful (sometimes both), and is always quotable ("I demand to have some booze!!").
Paul McGann makes a wonderful worrier, while Richard E. Grant gives the performance of his career. Withnail is a paragon of punctured pomposity and debilitated souse (not bad when you consider Grant is a tee-totaller!).
Overall, this film is an accomplishment of DIY filmmaking. Writer Bruce Robinson made his directorial debut here, and to have your first film become a revered cult classic is not a bad start. Hilarious!
This review of Withnail & I (1987) was written by Philip B on 17 Jul 2009.
Withnail & I has generally received very positive reviews.
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