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Withnail and I (1988)
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Reviews Counted:24
Fresh:23
Rotten:1
Average Rating:8.3/10
Theatrical Release:07-09-2007
Synopsis: Bruce Robinson's semi-autobiographical account of his early years as an actor has become a cult hit of massive proportions, inspiring countless numbers of young men and women to quote stars Paul... Bruce Robinson's semi-autobiographical account of his early years as an actor has become a cult hit of massive proportions, inspiring countless numbers of young men and women to quote stars Paul McGann and Richard E. Grant and their booze-soaked dialogue. The story follows these two unemployed actors in 1969 London, as they take a holiday in the country. Trapped inside a dank, empty cabin with each other, an endless downpour of heavy rain battering their roof, the two men form a complicated bond fueled by booze, disaster, and nihilism. Though not much happens in terms of plot, WITHNAIL AND I is one of the most subtly hilarious films to come out of 1980's Britain. [More]
Starring: Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Brown
Starring: Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Brown
Director: Bruce Robinson
Director: Bruce Robinson
Reviews for Withnail and I
A modern classic? A brilliant vignette of a certain time and attitudes? A self-indulgent jeu d’esprit? One thing is certain: Richard E. Grant touched greatness.
The best British comedy ever made? Possibly. A masterpiece? Unquestionably.
Has any screenplay combined so many quotable lines with such tear-jerking pathos or blatant homophobia?
A biting script from writer-director Bruce Robinson and performances from Richard E Grant and Paul McGann as two ‘resting’ actors, Withnail and ‘I’, that neither has surpassed.
Grant - a teetotaller - delivers the performance of his life as the doomed thesp, whether it be demanding the "finest wines available to humanity", downing lighter fluid, or feeling like a pig shat in his head.
Set in 1969 England, it portrays the last throes of a friendship mirroring the seedy demise of the hippie period, delivering some comic gems along the way.
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