Withnail and I, 1987

"Withnail and I" is a comedy, there is no disputing this. We may laugh at the two downtrodden protagonists, their misadventures in the country, and at the absurd situations in which they find themselves. These comedic aspects extend to speech (via humorous misunderstandings), actions (the occasional slapstick), and situations (two city boys trying to have a holiday at a farm). Nonetheless, that is not all this movie is, and laughter is not primarily what thoughtful viewers will take away from "Withnail and I". Ultimately, this is a movie about an extremely talented actor, who has had several opportunities to succeed in life if only he were to give up his dreams of being a working thespian. Were Withnail (the non-narrator protagonist) to decide that any part will do, as long as it pays, he would not have to live in the squalid apartment shown in the movie. Less than that, it seems, he need only consider work of any kind other than acting, and his life would be well on its way, given his wealthy family. But Withnail refuses to give up on his ambitions, such that the only comfort in his life is his good friend, played by Paul McGann, who apparently faces similar obstacles and certainly lives a similar kind of life. To say any more would be to spoil what is a phenomenal ending to a less than perfect movie, so I'll end this with a recommendation: watch "Withnail and I", because the ending makes up for all its flaws. Though it helps to be at least somewhat familiar with Hamlet.

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