agmtw logo
search
Withnail & I (1987)

Withnail & I (1987)

A downtrodden duo take a countryside getaway in this semi-autobiographical dark comedy

7.5

Movie

United Kingdom
English, Latin
Comedy, Drama
1987
BRUCE ROBINSON
Anthony Wise, Daragh O'Malley, Eddie Tagoe
108 min

TLDR

This is one of the many reasons why George Harrison is my favorite Beatle.

What it's about

Two out-of-work actors– the anxiety-ridden Marwood and sarcastic and wasted Withnail– take a holiday in Withnail’s uncle’s country house, though their dynamic gets tested by the unexpected hijinks.

The take

There are a few instances that prove the merit of one’s friendship, and one of those instances is a roadtrip. Withnail and I is considered one of the greatest British comedies of all time, but there’s a certain melancholy to it, as two unemployed actors have gone on holiday due to an offer from one of their uncles, though this offer doesn’t come without strings, which the titular “I”, Marwood, whose name is never mentioned, has only found out on the trip. As the holiday goes wrong, with the two making the worst of every new situation, the two share somewhat of a dysfunctional, slightly homoerotic relationship, as Withnail deals with everything in the most drunken, unserious manner, and Marwood anxiously realizes how much he’s outgrown their friendship. The film’s humor may be a tad too dry for those outside the country, but cult favorite Withnail and I still resonates with its endlessly quotable lines, memorable scenes, and its bitter understanding of how life can diverge.

What stands out

This was Richard E. Grant’s debut role, and he knocked it out of the park with his inebriated, charismatic performance (even if he has an alcohol intolerance that doesn’t allow him to drink in real life).

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Martin Scorsese grapples with harrowing history and the limits of storytelling in this monumental masterpiece

8.7

The Magdalene Sisters (2002)

7.8

Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

Louis Malle remembers his heartbreaking childhood in this poignant period drama

8.5

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

A chilling Irish tragicomedy from the director of In Bruges

7.7

The Collini Case (2019)

A very satisfying German legal drama

7.6

Europa (1991)

An idealist is lured to destruction in this surreal, experimental noirish recreation

7.5

Bad Education (2004)

A brazen, stylish twist to the classic murder mystery

7.8

Faust (1994)

The devil returns through creepy animation to make a deal in modern day Prague

7.5

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.