AmateurMovieReviews.com

By Simon Woodhouse

Every now and then a film comes along that is so much better than its contemporaries, it makes you wonder why anyone else bothers. These are the sorts of movies people fall in love with, worship, idolize, and watch again and again until they can recite the dialogue without giving it a second thought. No one particular genre totally dominates the world of fanatical admiration, but comedy films do seem to have more than their fare share of celluloid gods. Laughter resonates with an audience more than being scared, thrilled, wowed or heart-broken. Numbers aren't important as far as beloved films are concerned. It doesn't matter if the movie was a box-office goldmine, or only a hand full of people saw it. People cherish their favorite films because they feel a connection with what's on screen. That doesn't mean they've been there and done that, or their lives mirror the script, but it does mean they appreciate where the movie is coming from. They get it, they understand the theme and identify whole-heartedly with what the film makers are trying to do. For me, Withnail and I is one such movie.

A British comedy set in London during the end of the 1960s, the title of the film refers to its two main characters - Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann). They're a pair of out of work actors, struggling to get by with almost no money. Despite the setting, the movie doesn't rely on the time and place for its laughs in the same way as something like the Austin Powers movies did. Apart from a handful of scenes, it would be easy to imagine the film taking place in the London of today.

As with some of the best comedies, Withnail and I has a very simple plot. In fact it can be easily summed up in one line - two out of work actors go to Wales for a holiday. Now on paper that doesn't sound very exciting or funny, but in reality it's hysterical. Why? Without a shadow of the doubt the movie owes much of its greatness to the performances of the two leads. Both were novices when they took on these roles, with neither having made a film before. But you wouldn't know it from watching them.

The film begins with a major disaster - they've drunk every drop of alcohol in their rundown flat and the pubs don't open for hours. This catastrophe causes Withnail to go into one of his many rants, which this time includes pondering the sanity of drug taking athletes, threatening physical violence against one of the flat's many rodents, attempting to tackle a mountain of festering washing up and finally deciding it's time to get some fresh air. Following on from another heavy drinking session, which ends in them being chased from the local pub by a maniac who thinks they're gay, they decide it's time to get out of London. Lacking the means to afford a proper holiday, they go to visit Withnail's Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) to ask if they can have the use of his cottage in Wales.

Though they make it out of town, the atmosphere of the film doesn't change. Every scene has a dowdy, gray look about it. The sun never shines, and going from London to Wales means all they manage to do is swap inner city squalor for the dirty Welsh countryside. Again, this doesn't sound very funny, but Withnail's reaction to this state of affairs is hilarious. Whilst in Wales, they lurch from one unusual happening to the next. Withnail attempts to fish for trout with a shotgun, Marwood gets chased by a randy bull and they're both threatened by the local poacher who's brandishing a dead eel. After a couple of days, Uncle Monty turns up fully loaded with supplies. For Withnail this is a godsend, as Monty has brought a rather fine collection of wine. Marwood, however, isn't happy. Uncle Monty has the 'hots' for him, a situation brought about by Withnail, who led his uncle to believe Marwood felt the same, so he could get the keys to the cottage.

The misadventures in Wales are probably the films funniest moments. Though some of the humor is slapstick (the scene with the bull), mostly it's what Withnail and Marwood say, and not what they do, that's so funny. The movie contains no end of quotable quotes, my favorite being 'he wants to get down to that field and have sex with those cows'. But like all the best comedies, there are bittersweet moments and the finale is actually quite sad.

To say Withnail and I is a cult classic is a bit of an understatement. It's not a well known film, but as far as British comedies are concerned, it's the best. The fact that it's nearly twenty years old doesn't detract from its greatness. When something is funny it stays funny, and can't be affected by time. Of the two leading men, Richard E. Grant is probably the more well known. Both he and Paul McGann have gone on to play bigger roles, but neither has appeared in anything as good as Withnail and I. Of the other players involved, Ralph Brown is brilliant as Danny, the spaced out drug dealer. Richard Griffiths' portrayal of the lecherous but noble Uncle Monty, is so good he manages to steal scenes from both Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann.

Viewed now, nearly twenty years after its release, the film seems like one of those rare celluloid moments where everything conspired to be just right. The casting is perfect, the locations spot-on and the script (written by the director Bruce Robinson) an absolute gem. In fact, I'm almost tempted to use the oldest of cliches - they don't make them like that anymore.