Thirty years on from its release, is this cult classic still worth a watch? Most people with any interest in the film will have seen it at least once by now, so I don't think I need spend much time on a synopsis.
Two unemployed young actors in 1969 London living a dissolute life of frustration and near squalor. Deciding to get away from it all Withnail (Richard E Grant) persuades his Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) to lend them his cottage in the Lake District. Very much city folk, their sojourn in the country does not go well, and they are unwelcome to the locals. To their surprise Monty turns up, his intention to seduce '& I' (the character, played by Paul McGann, is never named), and the subsequent misunderstandings send him scurrying off again. The two return to London where '& I' discovers he's got an acting job and leaves Withnail to contemplate his situation.
It's a film without much in the way of action, or stunning cinematography, but strong on character, situation and dialogue. A very literary film, full of quotations and references and sharp writing. A film of memorable, quotable, lines. And a film that's dominated by the personalities of the actors. McGann is beautiful, a gentle foil to Withnail's extremes. Grant, in his first major role, is a monster of self indulgence, unpredictable and selfish,yet remains curiously likeable. His approach to fishing and motorway driving are classics of excess. Griffiths is wonderfully camp, oozes cultured charm, and is a sadly flawed parody of the aesthete he pretends to be.
Vast amounts of alcohol are consumed, drugs taken, escapes from the world sought.
Great soundtrack too, with Beatles and Hendrix tracks making an appearance. But it's the laughs that are the key to why this film has aged so well. The humour is both observational and situational and is there throughout, allied to some pathos. Bruce Robinson's script and direction are superb.
I'll end with one of my favourite lines, in this case from Uncle Monty : "There is, you'll agree, a certain 'je ne sais quoi' oh so very special about a firm, young carrot."
Three decades old, but still a joy.
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