Withnail and I - Criterion Collection

Rating:
Summary: Utterly unique, never tire of viewing and re-viewing...
Review: This is the hysterical and darkly comical odyssey of two Londoners who "go on holiday by mistake." They meet outrageous and believable characters, get into all sorts of bizarre and believable situations. Many great one liners in the film. The kind of movie you want to keep going. Remarkable, dramatic ending reveals the continuity of the plot. Has a good beginning, middle and end--just what Aristotle required of drama. Great soundtrack too--Hendrix, Procol Harum, more. I've seen it countless times and have nearly memorized the dialogue I think. Strong Brit accent required me to rewind some parts a couple of times to get the point. END

Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT!!!!!!!
Review: Just get this and watch it. I don't know how many times I've watched this or read the script. It never loses its appeal. I won't tell you what it's about because not to know adds even more pleasure to the watching of it. It's unique...it's a classic (cult and otherwise). Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann in their finest roles. END

Rating:
Summary: GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN!!!
Review: I dunno, folks - you just gotta love England, eh? LOL...

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyably eccentric black comedy
Review: Written and Directed by Bruce Robinson (who would later go on to make the Uma Thurman movie JENNIFER 8) WITHNAIL & I is a semi-autobiographical black comedy about two struggling actors in Camdenton London during the last months of the 60s. The future is looking rather bleak for Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and I (Paul McGann). Both are out of work and in the midst of drug and alcohol problems. After hitting rock bottom the pair decide to take a peaceful vacation in the country and plan on how to re-establish some direction in their lives before the new decade begins.
However their stay in the country turns out to be anything but tranquil when the boorish, self absorbed Withnail manages to bring out the hostilities of the locals. Both reduced to the status of village pariahs, the unwelcome duo find themselves confined to the tiny cottage where they are forced to burn their own furniture to stay warm, and literally shooting fish in order to survive.
Though the movie is a bit plodding and self-important at times; WITHNAIL & I is nonetheless an absorbing and well-acted low key cult item that is worth a look for curiosity's sake. (Not something I'll have to point out to those people have seen the movie more than a dozen times! I've only seen it once.) The highlight of the movie for me is the scene in which Withnail concocts a novel way to get let off a drink driving charge.
The movie was Produced by the late George Harrison, and Ringo Starr also appears in the credits as "Richard Starkey M.B.E". Sadly, the DVD I watched didn't have any bonus features.

Rating:
Summary: a perfect perfumed ponce.
Review: When one descends into the state of a failed, drunken, miserably poor actor one has two choices; lie back and pity oneself, or become a pompous jerk blaming everyone else for your own lowly stupor. The first option is classic, ordinary, and pitifully boring; there's nothing more tedious than to despise oneself for failure and to whine about such things to others.

Instead, when one fails in pretty much all areas of life, its much more entertaining to become a curmudgeon to others, hallucinating a superior glory that never was, treating your peers like servants and overcompensating in every possible manner. This is better when one has a friend to share this with, a semi-rational friend struggling along the same lowly state of affairs, putting up with your desperate illusions of grandeur with drunken sincerity.

In Withnail and I, Richard E. Grant orders around his roommate, Paul McGann, as they both struggle to find acting employment in late 1960s London. In efforts to refresh their palate of daily misery, the two head out to a cottage in the country for a short vacation, only to face the unexpected hardships of life in the country.

An autobiographical film by the acerbic Bruce Robinson, Withnail is a rare sort of perfect film where each and every word is purely genius hilarity. Grainy even in the Criterion restoration, this is a film immune to formal technical criticism, for it is far too enjoyable to even bother. In this very immediate and resonant exhibition of substance abuse, lowliness is made oddly inspirational through truly perfect acting and an absolutely genius script. Through the hilarious follies of this collection of miserable characters, the viewer is given a glorious gift of misled determination and unashamed selfishness, an infrequent cinematic treasure that makes the film as addictive as the substances contained within.

Rating:
Summary: a strange film
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

"Withnail and I" follows the story of two unemployed actors, named "Withnail" and "I" living together in a London apartment. Withnail's uncle Monty offers to let them go on vacation at his cottage in the country. When they arrive, they find the place inhospitable for their tastes and when Monty arrives, he tries to seduce I.

The film became a cult favorite in England and was even produced by the late George Harrison. The film has mediocre acting and several scenes that will offend some people.

One interesting scene is where the characters make and then smoke a camberwell carrot. This is a very large marijuana joint which is more like the size of a parsnip than of a carrot.

The DVD has special features including a theatrical trailer, production photos, a collectible poster, and the documentary "Withnail and Us" which has interviews with cas and crew.

Fans of British cult movies will love this one!

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyably eccentric black comedy
Review: Written and Directed by Bruce Robinson (who would later go on to make the Uma Thurman movie JENNIFER 8) WITHNAIL & I is a semi-autobiographical black comedy about two struggling actors in Camdenton London during the last months of the 60s. The future is looking rather bleak for Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and I (Paul McGann). Both are out of work and in the midst of drug and alcohol problems. After hitting rock bottom the pair decide to take a peaceful vacation in the country and plan on how to re-establish some direction in their lives before the new decade begins.
However their stay in the country turns out to be anything but tranquil when the boorish, self absorbed Withnail manages to bring out the hostilities of the locals. Both reduced to the status of village pariahs, the unwelcome duo find themselves confined to the tiny cottage where they are forced to burn their own furniture to stay warm, and literally shooting fish in order to survive.
Though the movie is a bit plodding and self-important at times; WITHNAIL & I is nonetheless an absorbing and well-acted low key cult item that is worth a look for curiosity's sake. (Not something I'll have to point out to those people have seen the movie more than a dozen times! I've only seen it once.) The highlight of the movie for me is the scene in which Withnail concocts a novel way to get let off a drink driving charge.
The movie was Produced by the late George Harrison, and Ringo Starr also appears in the credits as "Richard Starkey M.B.E". Sadly, the DVD I watched didn't have any bonus features.

Rating:
Summary: GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN!!!
Review: I dunno, folks - you just gotta love England, eh? LOL...