Watch Withnail and I
- R
- 1987
- 1 hr 48 min
-
7.5 (47,467)
Withnail and I is a British black comedy film released in 1987, directed by Bruce Robinson. The story is set in London in the late 1960s, and it revolves around two struggling actors who decide to take a break from their miserable lives in the city and go on a weekend holiday to the countryside. The two characters, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann), are friends who share a flat in Camden, and they are both struggling to find work in the acting industry.
The movie portrays the degenerate lifestyle of the two protagonists, which is characterized by excessive drinking, drug use, and a general sense of despair. Withnail is an eccentric and flamboyant character, who is constantly drunk and high, and has a penchant for acting out various scenes from famous plays and films. Marwood, on the other hand, is more reserved and introspective, and often seems to be the voice of reason in the duo.
The movie starts off with Withnail and Marwood waking up after yet another night of heavy drinking and drug use, and realizing that they have run out of money, food, and alcohol. In a last-ditch attempt to escape from their dreary existence, Withnail comes up with the idea of going on a holiday to a rural cottage owned by his uncle, who is apparently a wealthy and reclusive man. Despite Marwood's reservations, they decide to go on this trip to the countryside, hoping to find some peace and respite from their miserable lives.
However, their weekend trip turns out to be anything but relaxing, as they soon discover that the cottage is dilapidated and infested with rats, and that the only source of food and drink is a local pub run by a hostile and abusive landlord. The two actors are forced to endure a series of comical and bizarre misadventures, including a run-in with a group of hippies, a disastrous attempt at hunting, and a surreal encounter with a flamboyant and eccentric Irishman played by Richard Griffiths.
The movie is characterized by its sharp wit and dark humor, as well as its vivid depiction of the seedy underbelly of London and the British acting industry in the 1960s. The performances by Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann are both stellar, and they perfectly capture the despair and desperation of their characters. Richard Griffiths also steals the show with his hilarious and flamboyant performance as the Irishman, and his scenes provide some of the movie's most memorable moments.
Overall, Withnail and I is a hilarious and poignant movie that perfectly captures the sense of disillusionment and despair of the time. It is a testament to the talent of the actors and the director that the movie remains a cult classic to this day, and continues to be enjoyed by audiences all over the world.
Withnail and I is a 1987 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 48 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5 and a MetaScore of 84.