Withnail and I

Withnail and I is one of those films that you get told is "famous" yet have never heard of. It was made by the Beatle George Harrison's film company, "Handmade Films". No one speaks about George Harrison much any more.

This film was made in 1986 and set in 1969. The two characters are aspiring actors, but spend most of their time drinking and smoking. They live in a delapidated house in London, which they never bother to tidy up and have allowed to become infested by rats. Their effete arrogance does not go down well in the local pub. They have one friend named Danny, who must be the basis for the Peep Show character Super Hans: he sells drugs and attempts to make profound statements.

Once they run out of money, Withnail turns to his rich uncle Montey, who is just as effete and fond of acting as his nephew. Withnail and I (that's his name) secure the keys to Monty's cottage in the Lake District. These early scenes establish the characters well.

The least enjoyable part of the film comes when Withnail and I arrive in the Lake District. The scenes in which they interact with locals are uninteresting and could've been cut out without losing much of the story. The only laugh comes when I has to charge at a bull that has escaped from a field.

Things liven up when Monty arrives at the cottage unexpectedly one night; apparently he had a flat tire, but it's odd how he ended up hundreds of miles from his home. Our two heroes have mixed feelings about Monty's arrival: he is sensible enough to bring much-needed food and drink with him, but he is rather too interested in spending time with them, especially with I. It is hinted at and then revealed that Monty is gay. The film is set in an era when homosexuality was still a taboo, and some people spent their lives striving to change their sexuality. Monty emerges as the film's most likeable character in the confusion that abounds from various lies that Withnail and I tell, although he does hint at raping I before doing the right thing.

When Withnail and I return to London, there is a man (named Assuming Ed in the credits) in their bath and Danny has intervened disastrously in their tenancy agreement. The ending reveals that the film is not only a coming-of-age film for Withnail but an end-of-an-era film. Danny says that the best decade is about to end and "there are going to be a lot of refugees". I found this statement confusing: most people associate the 1960s with hippies and the Beatles rather than with alcoholic actors and repressed homosexuals.

I give this four stars. It is marked up for having memorable characters, erudite dialogue and a good ending (it's not often I say that). It's marked down because none of the characters is likeable, and I think that every film should have at least one likeable character. In addition, there are some poor scenes. The scene in which Withnail and I refuse to leave a cafe in Penrith was unconnected to the plot and did nothing except make you dislike the characters more. The scenes with the Cumbrian locals fall flat: they are neither funny nor important to the plot.