Now-now, another proof that in order to produce a good movie all y have to do is have aesthetics. In our case, aesthetics is humor and Withnail & I sure got a lot of it. 75% of it black, 25% dark.Long story story: Two friends, one failed actor and close to become something like a junkie, the other one the same but still fighting for his life, decide they need a break from the city and so they live...and chaos eats up everything.British humor, great acting (especially at the role of failed actor), some AMAZING side characters etc.8/10 would watch again.However i wouldn't recommend this movie to any depressed person who is watching life going on (without him), people leaving him behind and only the booze and drugs left for company and romance. This can make you sad.It made me.Still worth it.

I like my substance abuse surrounded by dry British humour (though I'm not really a fan of Trainspotting). Withnail & I is full of narcissism, paranoia and gleeful disobedience but also a sense of despair - an understanding this lifestyle is unsustainable and self-destructive - adding the pathos that makes a comedy last. You can tell it was based on real experiences (of the writer-director, Bruce Robinson, who hasn't done that many films, but I really need to check out How to Get Ahead in Advertising), especially some of the gags about washing up. Good performances from Paul McGan, Richard E. Grant, and Richard Griffiths (who you may recognize from the Harry Potter films) give weight to a script that is narratively thin, but character-rich.

It's 1969 London. Withnail (Richard E. Grant) & I (Paul McGann) are a couple of struggling actors living in a rundown filthy flat. They struggle to find the money for heat. Withnail is a constantly complaining drunk. I suggest going to the cottage of Withnail's gay uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths). They are visited by Danny the local drug dealer.It's a dark comedy. I don't know why but a lot of it didn't connect for me. It's possible that I don't get half of the references. It's also possible that I don't find Withnail funny. Grant is doing a big performance but not a funny one for my taste. I also don't understand their 'friendship'. The homo humor wears out for me. It is however undeniable that Grant shows the power of his acting in his film debut.

It's hard to explain this film, as it is mostly a very weak story with a lot of great acting in it. Richard Grant makes it all worthwhile, even if this is his first role in a film. Ironically, the film is about unemployed actors looking for work. Well, it's not about them looking, it's more about them getting high and drunk and living from one day to the next looking for the next source of booze.The emotions of these impaired people are made extremely clear by the subtle but smart dialogue and the great acting of all involved. It reminded me of Trainspotting a bit, since the story is basically about drug and/or alcohol addled friends and the wonderful time one can have in this company, but also the trap that it lays for someone trying to live in the modern society. Meet the last thespian barbarians, living their lives as they see fit, while they still can, before the future catches up with them.On one side the film kind of bored me, as the scenes were slow and uneventful, on the other it fascinated me to see the great acting and to "get" the characters. It is also a subtle satire on the British society, starting with people waking up to read all those ridiculous news about crimes and corruption, and ending with a grandstanding description of "we live in a kingdom of rains where royalty comes in gangs", while the middle of the film is just people trying to survive without being part of that world.Worth a watch, definitely a good movie, just make sure you are in the mood for a slow dialogue driven film.