Withnail and I

763. Withnail and I
Directed by Bruce Robinson
UK, 1987
IMDB | allmovie

Reviewed by Ally
Umpteenth viewing

Description:

Two out-of-work actors, Withnail and “I” (called Marwood in the script), decide to escape the squalor of their Camden flat. Withnail convinces his flamboyant uncle Monty to lend them his cottage in Cumbria, and the pair must cope with an entirely new kind of squalor.

Essential Scene:

Marwood awakes in the back seat of the car to find Withnail behind the wheel, while Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” plays on the soundtrack. The police are involved in no time at all, and a clearly inebriated Withnail attempts to reassure them:

First Policeman: You’re drunk.
Withnail: I assure you I’m not officer, I’ve only had a few ales.

Thoughts:

Withnail and I is a cult classic stuffed to the gills with quotable lines. The tone shifts fluidly from comedic to poignant, and the naturalistic cinematography captures the stifling sense of decay in every location.