This British cult comedy finds two unemployed actors in 1969 leaving London to holiday in the country. Marwood (or I) (Paul McGann, 1996’s DOCTOR WHO) is a paranoid man who worries about everything. Withnail (Richard E. Grant, GOSFORD PARK) is a highly educated drunk, who stumbles through life thinking he’s better than everyone as a cover for his utter failure as an actor.
To get out of the city, Withnail cons his gay uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths, HARRY POTTER) into loaning them his rundown cabin in the country. Marwood’s on-edge personality mixed with Withnail’s snobby manic behavior makes for a lot of funny moments. When they arrive in the country, the film mines the contrast between the boozed out and drugged up Withnail and Marwood and the conservative locals.
The down-on-their-luck actors represent the dark end of the ‘60s. Setting the film at the end of the decade means a lot to the story. Withnail and Marwood are about to turn thirty and have no prospects. They have burned themselves out in the last decade.
More so than its grander themes, its core is a character study of its two title characters, mainly Withnail. We can laugh at his acerbic manner, but it’s clear that he’s only holding Marwood back. Withnail complains constantly that he can’t get work, but refuses to take a job as an understudy. What really drives most of Withnail’s motivation is finding someway to over indulge on booze and food without paying for it.
The irony of his elitist attitude and slovenly appearance is marvelous. Grant is given the role of a lifetime and performs better than he has ever done since. He’s magnificent. Griffiths, who is best known for playing Harry Potter’s uncle, is indeed a stand out. There is a sadness to his lonely homosexual character that’s subtle and honest, not blatant and over-the-top. When he sets his eyes on Marwood, it’s played for laughs, but never at the expense of making Monty a foolish caricature.
Director Bruce Robinson began as an actor then moved into writing before directing this film. He’s only directed two other films since. He understands these characters clearly with detail and wit. With Grant’s unstoppable performance at the helm, the film charges forward with a simple unobtrusive style.
Yet, Robinson knows how to subtly play a scene for all its comic potential by combining the right music with the right visuals. Notice how he sets up the sequence when Marwood first goes out in the morning after arriving at the cabin. It’s humorous because of what came before and then humorous for how it quickly changes. In the process, it mirrors the emotional range of Marwood. It’s a perfectly constructed sequence.
WITHNAIL & I is a smart comedy that’s filled with sarcastic wit and great subtle observation about its characters.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
