Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 11, 2014

Bruce Robinson's "Withnail and I" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer; new video interview with production designer Michael Pickwoad; four archival documentaries; audio commentary with writer/director Bruce Robinson; new audio commentary with writer Kevin Jackson; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"I have a heart condition. If you hit me, it's murder."

This review covers only the new 2K restoration of Withnail and I and the supplemental features included with it. Arrow Video's upcoming Limited Edition Blu-ray box set also includes Bruce Robinson’s follow-up feature, How to Get Ahead in Advertising.

Ever since I first saw Withnail and I back in the late 80s, I have been trying to decide 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 managed to become the characters they were asked to play -- completely. There is another part of me, however, that has remained incredibly suspicious of their acting style. Those of you who have already seen Withnail and I probably have a pretty good idea what I am talking about; those of you who have not, well... you are just going to have to see the film to figure out why I took the time to tell you about my dilemma.

Camden, the '60s. Withnail (Grant, Penelope) and Marwood (McGann, Gypo) are two unemployed actors. They have an agent -- somewhere -- but he does not seem to care much about them. Perpetually frustrated, the two friends 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 habits, Withnail and Marwood rely on Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths, The History Boys), an elderly man who happens to like young men. Luckily, Uncle Monty does not mind giving them money, and occasionally even a bottle of expensive French wine.

Things get rather complicated when Withnail and Marwood move into Uncle Monty’s countryside cottage to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. First they discover that provincial folks aren’t as friendly and hospitable as most books and films suggest they are, and later on Uncle Monty appears and confesses his feelings to Marwood: "I mean to have you, even if by burglary".

Withnail and I is loosely based on director 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 of specific lines were recreated as they occurred years ago. (Uncle Monty's dialog apparently incorporates quite a few lines which the great director Franco Zeffirelli used while Robinson worked with him on Romeo and Juliet).

There is a general consensus amongst critics and viewers that Withnail and I is an incredibly hilarious film. I agree, it is. I would also add that Withnail and I is a distinctively British film. Many of the expressions heard throughout it, for example, ooze that typical British cockiness that makes them irresistibly funny and at the same time borderline offensive.

Withnail and I is also a time capsule of sorts filled with melancholy. The film effectively captures the dying spirit of the '60s and the beginning of a new, less humane era (the final sequence where Withnail and Marwood part ways is indicative of it).

For a low-budget production, Withnail and I looks shockingly good. In an interview supplied on the Anchor Bay Blu-ray release, director Robinson admits that he was incredibly nervous while shooting the film, but I don’t believe it ever shows. On the contrary, there isn't a single sequence in the film that looks or feels amateurish.

Grant and McGaan are spectacular. But as mentioned in the opening paragraph of this review, I’ve often wondered whether they were only acting in front of the camera. There are various sequences throughout the film where it certainly looks like they might have had a few extra drinks.

Withnail and I Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

Recently restored in 2K -- with the restoration supervised and approved by director of photography Peter Hannan -- Withnail and I finally looks as good as it should. Clarity, image depth, color reproduction and fluidity are drastically improved. Close-ups (see screencapture #2) and the larger panoramic shots (screencapture #10) boast a type of depth that is simply missing from StudioCanal's release. Additionally, there is an entirely new range of very healthy nuanced colors that literally give the film a brand new identity. During the indoor footage the softness of the original photography is retained, but the improved clarity allows one to see all sorts of different details that were eliminated by the filtering corrections on the previous two Region-B releases (see screencaptures #8 and 9). Grain is visible throughout the entire film and appears well resolved. There are absolutely no traces of compromising sharpening adjustments. Lastly, there are no large scratches, debris, stains, warps, cuts, or damage marks to report in this review. All in all, this is a wonderful technical presentation of Withnail and I that is guaranteed to please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. 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 standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Arrow Video have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Generally speaking, dynamic intensity is quite limited. There are select sequences where the rock music adds an extra dose of flavor to the film, but depth is limited. The dialog is crisp and stable. Background hiss is not an issue of concern, but some minor stability enhancements could have been made (see the fishing sequence around at the 55-minute mark).

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

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Withnail and I. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Interview with Michael Pickwoad - in this new video interview, production designer Michael Pickwoad recalls his initial impressions of Bruce Robinson's script for Withnail and I, and discusses some of the real-life individuals that inspired the colorful characters in the film, its bizarre sense of humor, the shooting of key sequences, etc. The interview was conducted in 2014. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• An Appreciation by Sam Bain - in this new video interview, Sam Bain, co-creator of Peep Show and Fresh Meat, discusses the unique qualities of Withnail and I. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Withnail Weekend Documentaries - presented here are four documentaries which were originally screened on Channel 4, as of part of their Withnail Weekend in 1999. The featurettes offer plenty of information about the film's production history, unique sense of humor, and cult status. All four featurettes contain clips from interviews with cast/crew members and fans of the film, as well as plenty of archival footage. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Withnail and Us (25 min).
  2. The Peculiar Memories of Bruce Robinson (39 min).
  3. I Demand to Have Some Booze! (6 min).
  4. Withnail on the Pier (5 min).

• Commentary - this audio commentary with writer/director Bruce Robinson was recorded in 2009. It also appears on Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Withnail and I. In English, not subtitled.

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, Kevin Jackson, author of the BFI Modern Classics volume on Withnail and I, discusses the unique balance between comedy and drama in the film, its visual style, the homophobic overtones and Uncle Monty's character, the relationship between the music and the visuals, Bruce Robinson's directing style (Withnail and I was his directorial debut), etc. The commentary was recoded in 2014. In English, not subtitled.

• Illustrated Book - 200-page illustrated book included with the LE Blu-ray box set of Withnail and I featuring:
  
  
  • Almost a Comedy (2014) by Vic Pratt
  • Withnail and I: Contemporary Reviews
  • Withnail and I: The Deleted Scenes
  • Withnail, You Terrible Cult (1994) by James Brown
  • A Terrible Cult Revisited (2014) by James Brown
  • You're My Bessht Friend! (1996) by David Cavanagh
  • An Actor Prepares (2014) by Anthony Nield
  • The Last English Dreamer (2014) by Martin Jones
  • He's Bona Fide, He's Not From London (2014) by Neil Mitchell
  • I Will Never Play the Dane (2014) by Mike Sutton
  • How to Get Ahead in Advertising Credits
  • If It Hasn't Got A Price Tag, It Isn't Worth Having (2014) by Frank Collins
  • How to Get Ahead in Advertising: Contemporary Reviews
  • Production and Technical Credits

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

In the United Kingdom, Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I has already been released twice on Blu-ray. Arrow Video's upcoming release, which will be available for purchase in two weeks, will most likely remain the definitive release of this cult comedy -- it uses a wonderful new high-definition transfer struck from a new 2K restoration of the film and has some very good exclusive new supplemental features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.