Withnail and I (1987)

Watched this after hearing it’s Will Arnett’s favorite movie, but… I don’t get it.

This is supposed to be a comedy? Richard E. Grant is convincing as a perpetually drunk mess, but beyond that, the film feels like little more than two guys getting drunk, doing drugs, and accomplishing very little of interest. Maybe it’s just not for me. But stepping back and trying to look at it objectively, I can’t help but notice that neither Grant, Paul McGann, nor director Bruce Robinson went on to make anything particularly comedic of note. Certainly they would have, if they really had the chops to begin with.

Limited sets and unnaturally scripted, overly emotional, wall-to-wall dialogue make it all seem very theatrical. It’s no surprise that it’s been adapted for the stage.

The film does have some value as an apparently authentic slice-of-life portrait of late-1960s England, but other than that, it’s a mess.