Wednesday, December 11

Tag: Withnail and I

Withnail and I – Birmingham Rep
West Midlands

Withnail and I – Birmingham Rep

“We want the finest wines available to humanity, we want them here and we want them now!” You either know this cult film tottering on the brink of its fortieth anniversary or, like me, you’ve remained blissfully unaware of its merits over that period. But as the big 40 approaches perhaps it’s time to acquaint myself with it, doff my cap and say hi. It seems this version, ably helmed by Sean Foley, embellishes and only slightly strays off the beaten path of the film, but this is not a bad thing. In 1987 Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann, both unknowns tottering on the brink of stardom, undertook the roles of two unemployed actors in a tale loosely adapted from the life of writer/director Bruce Robinson. The film found a following which soon coalesced into a cult and has remained so ever s...