A subtle and bold mixture of views are expressed in this semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Bruce Robinson, told through the first person point of view of Marwood, Withnail's friend and fellow out-of-work actor.

Having found no paying roles to keep them going in their Camden house, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann) attempt to drink and smoke away their problems. After reaching breaking point, Marwood convinces Withnail to get his uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) to lend them his country farm cottage for a week, in an attempt to escape from their chaotic London lifestyles. But when they find sparse supplies of food and firewood, they head off back to London much closer and with a lot more respect for one another.

This story tells of the lower class of society, and how desperate certain aspects of living in London in the sixties was.

The humour displayed by the two main characters is more times than not a subtle hint as to how poor their lifestyles were, and how dependent on alcohol they were. Alcohol does indeed feature a lot in this film.

An excellent film from Robinson, it will have the audience stuck in their seats, captivated by a marvelous performance from both Grant and McGann.

Not a film to watch just to fill time. This offers so much more.