Withnail & I, 1987.
Directed by Bruce Robinson.
Starring Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths and Ralph Brown.
SYNOPSIS:
Withnail (Richard E. Grant) is an unsuccessful, pill-popping actor; ‘I,’ or Marwood (Paul McGann), is Withnail’s roommate and another equally underemployed actor. The time is 1969: Withnail is fast becoming a burned-out relic of the ’60s, while Marwood is trying to reassimilate into society. The two take a trip to the country in hopes of rejuvenating themselves, but things go from worse to even worse.
Perpetually wasted Withnail and the introspectively uptight I (Marwood), disappear half way up a mountain near Penrith to share some quality time……
There is a difficulty encountered by all reviewers when it comes to writing something subjective on a confirmed cult classic. In terms of tricky it sits somewhere between negotiating an extension from a loan shark, while convincing lie detectors Age of Extinction was a good idea. For the record I neither owe money nor wish to be drawn into a debate on the merits of Michael Bay, his association with Robert Johnson, or the Ralph Macchio film Crossroads. Anyway, with that piece of hypothetical contractual hyperbole laid to rest, let me take up the challenge and share my thoughts on this seminal piece of work.
Ranked alongside Mona Lisa, The Long Good Friday and Kind Hearts and Coronets, Withnail & I represents the debut of a unique voice in British cinema. Shot on a shoestring and bankrolled by George Harrison’s Handmade Films, Withnail is quintessentially dialogue driven and contains a career defining performance. Without this Richard E Grant would be missing from L.A Story, Hudson Hawk, Dracula and more worryingly Don Hemingway. Not only that but ‘With Nails’ his caustically written biography would be absent from book shops up and down the land. However this association which at first defined him, then launched and limited him simultaneously, says more about the screenplay than an inability to avoid typecasting.
With a handful of actors and a randy bull, on paper Withnail is held together by the thinnest of plots. However its continued longevity is down to Robinson’s dialogue and Grant’s performance, alongside that of Ralph Brown, Richard Griffiths and a select number of minor players. There is tragedy and farce, black comedy and pathos played out with whimsy by the central protagonists of Marwood and Withnail. Griffith as the raging queen with a heart of gold is by turns flamboyant, paternal and predatory. He instils Uncle Monty with an inherent humanity which remains essential for him to neatly sidestep stereotype and garner sympathy even after his actions.
Penned by Oscar winning author of The Killing Fields Bruce Robinson, it represented a chance for him to make something uniquely personal. Essayed in a tome entitled ‘Smoking In Bed With Bruce Robinson’, he devotes a chapter to the casting sessions, film production, arguments with producer Denis O’Brien and eventual hiring of all concerned. Teetotal, non-smoking and apparently overweight, Robinson insisted that Grant get paralytic before their first rehearsal and then come in for a read through. This extreme piece of method would translate in theory to the screen, bringing a pompously pretentious alcoholic to life. Paul McGann however was a different story.
Just off the back of successful television series The Monocled Mutineer McGann was the confirmed casting catch. Robinson’s debut was supposed to be the springboard which would see Hollywood calling and stardom beckon. Fate it would seem had other ideas. With the misfire of a Spielberg backed Doctor Who incarnation, McGann would continue to work solidly in character parts while his co-star ironically gained the recognition.
Be that as it may such things are now so much water under the bridge. Michael Elphick and Richard Griffiths have sadly passed away, Grant continues to take his pick of parts and remain watchable in everything while Robinson pops up from time to time. Most recently adapting and directing Hunter S Thompson’s The Rum Diary, which proved he can still spin a yarn and direct something bravely uncompromising. As for how to finish this review which has neatly sidestepped plot points and substituted them for hyperbole and anecdote, let me just say this:
‘I have of late, wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth, and indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory.’
Is there a more elegant means of concluding a character arc? For fans, fanatics, converts and the curious Withnail & I is something to be owned, treasured, trawled over and studied. Simply enjoy.
Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★
Martin Carr – Follow me on Twitter.
Originally published October 29, 2014. Updated November 29, 2022.
