The ultimate cult British comedy, Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical cinematic bender is a feast of delectably florid dialogue delivered with deadpan relish by stars Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann as, respectively, Withnail and “I,” a pair of perpetually soused, unemployed actors in 1960s London who, desperate to escape their nightmarishly grimy flat, embark on a hilariously misbegotten country getaway beset by menacing locals, bare cupboards, and a randy uncle—all of which they may be able to withstand as long as they don’t run out of alcohol. While Robinson’s dazzling script yields quotable moments galore, it’s the film’s bittersweet evocation of a friendship gradually unraveling that gives this beloved end-of-youth tale its lasting poignancy.
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Supplements
- Audio commentary from 2020 by writer-director Bruce Robinson
- Audio commentary featuring actors Ralph Brown and Paul McGann
- New short program featuring Bruce Robinson and actor Richard E. Grant
- Withnail and Us (1999), a documentary on the making of the film
- British Film Institute Q&A from 2017 with Bruce Robinson and Richard E. Grant
- Stills gallery featuring photographs by artist Ralph Steadman
- Trailer
- An essay by critic David Cairns