Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 14, 2011

Winner of Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Screenplay, Bruce Robinson's "Withnail & I" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal. The only extra on the disc is an original trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

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Ever since I first saw Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I back in the late '80s, I have been trying to determine whether Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann were only acting in front of Bruce Robinson’s camera. Part of me has always believed that they were incredibly talented individuals who, for a short period of time, traded their personalities for those of their characters. They did it brilliantly and became these characters, exactly as Robinson wanted. However, there is another part of me that has remained incredibly suspicious of their transformations. Those of you who have already seen Withnail and I probably have a pretty good idea why.

Camden, the '60s. Withnail (Grant, Penelope) and Marwood (McGann, Gypo) are best friends and unemployed actors. They have an agent, somewhere, but he does not seem to care much about them. Perpetually frustrated, the two spend their days drinking as much as they can. Occasionally, if not too cash-strapped, they also light up a blunt.

To support their drinking habit, Withnail and Marwood rely on Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths, The History Boys), an elderly man who happens to like younger men. Uncle Monty does not mind lending them money that they never repay, and when in a great mood, he even offers them a bottle of expensive French wine.

While trying to survive on a lousy budget and waiting for Lady Luck to permanently redirect their lives, Withnail and Marwood move into Uncle Monty’s countryside cottage. However, it is not too long before they discover that provincial folks are not as warm and hospitable as most books and films suggest, and that Uncle Monty's fondness of Marwood could prove to be problematic because he intends to have him, "even if by burglary".

Withnail and I is loosely based on Robinson’s own experience as a struggling actor during the late '60s. Many of the key characters in it are inspired by real people, and in some cases even entire exchanges between them were recreated as they occurred years ago. For example, Uncle Monty's statements apparently incorporate quite a few lines that the great director Franco Zeffirelli used while Robinson worked with him on Romeo and Juliet.

Virtually all critics and cinephiles agree that Withnail and I is an incredibly hilarious film. I do not dispute that it is. However, I would add that it is a distinctly British film. Indeed, many of the expressions heard in it ooze that typical British cockiness that makes them irresistibly hilarious, but at the same time borderline offensive.

Withnail and I is also a surprisingly good, bittersweet time capsule. While it is packed with hilarious material, it effectively captures the dying spirit of the '60s and the emergence of a new, more cynical and less humane era. The final sequence where Withnail and Marwood part ways rather brilliantly visualizes this transition.

Even though it was made with a modest budget, Withnail and I is a very good-looking film. In an archival program included on this out-of-print Blu-ray release, Robinson reveals that he was incredibly nervous while shooting it, but it never shows. Withnail and I has a wonderful flow and lovely appearance.

As noted earlier, Grant and McGaan are brilliant together. However, there are more than a few sequences where it certainly looks like they have had a few drinks and are not just acting their parts.

Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Bruce Robinson's Withnail & I arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal.

Studio Canal's high-definition transfer is not identical to the one Anchor Bay used for their Blu-ray release of Withnail & I in 2009 -- it is encoded with VC-1 and rife with compression artifacts that further destabilize the already very weak image. At least on the Anchor Bay release contrast and clarity were somewhat decent, and when comparing that release to the R1 Criterion DVD release one could see some minor improvements. The softness, filtering, and now the additional artifacts really make it impossible not to speculate that this Blu-ray rerelease was completely unnecessary. Clearly, the master Anchor Bay and now Studio Canal worked with is very old and simply not good enough to produce a competent Blu-ray release of Withnail & I. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Studio Canal have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The English LPCM 2.0 track opens up the film enough not to be disappointed with it - the dialog is clear, stable, and mostly easy to follow, while the soundtrack occasionally gets a small boost. The range of nuanced dynamics, however, is very limited. For the record, there are no sync issues or distortions to report in this review. Also, unlike Anchor Bay, Studio Canal have provided optional English SDH subtitles, which I found to be enormously helpful.

Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Withnail & I. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, PAL).

Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Studio Canal's Blu-ray release of Bruce Robinson's Withnail & I is disappointing. Not only it does not represent an upgrade in quality over the old Anchor Bay Blu-ray release, but it does not port the various supplemental features from that release either. The only 'bonus' here is the addition of optional SDH subtitles. I am left with no other option but to recommend that you SKIP IT.