A great cast, a good mix of hilarity and actual heart, and quite quotable. "We've gone on holiday by mistake!". I had to get used to the atmosphere and tone, but once I managed to, good times were had.

#, reviews

One point off for using that horrible fucking Joe Cocker song to start the movie off. I'll never understand it. Aside from that I love this fucking film. Everyone has a film they quote on a semi regular basis. This one is mine. You can shove one up your arse for nothing and fuck off while you're doing it!

Hysterically funny, and profoundly moving elegy for the passing of the 60's. Grant's performance has just the right balance of mania, bitterness and pathos to make this one of the most memorable comedies of all time. Robinson's script is genius, and the art direction is perfect. I'll love this forever.

An entire plot beginning, driven, and ended with ennui. Loads of it. So much ennui that it clogs the toilet, won't flush, and you have to get a plunger after a not-so-particularly satisfying BM. It reminds me of my time after college, which scares the living ennui out of me.

some great lines

Absolute genius at times, and an amazing host of characters. However, there were a fair few dull bits, and I really wasn't much of a fan of Monty. Still very funny, though.

I'm usually not too keen on British comedy but this one has attached itself to my funny bone like some sort of drunken parasite and will probably remain with me for a long time.

God help it, it tried. So incessantly and valiantly it tried to make me laugh and failed so miserably. It never got a smile out of me. I give it some points for effort, but the thing is, the harder a comedy tries (I mean script and acting alike) the less funny it is. It is still above average - most movie comedies are worse. It actually has a theatrical quality and reminded me of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (though I didn't like that one either).

solid gold! written like fine wine in cigarettes.

I hadn't rated this already, wtf? A classic.

Occasionally amusing but too often frustrating comedy, which muffles all of its best gags by utilising a slack directorial style which results in the timing always seeming slightly "off". Grant, McGann and especially Griffiths turn in fine performances, and the seedy atmosphere is definitely a plus, but overall film stops short of working as a comedy.

More Withnail less & I please.

A non-narrative film with too much narrative, a comedy that isn't funny about a couple of low-lives that truly are low of life. There's something so unapproachable about the two characters that I can barely bring myself to be engaged by this film. My favourite part is the ending, which makes me wonder how this film would've serviced if it ditched being an (unfunny) comedy after all.

Hunter S. Thompson without the insight or humor. For a time their escapades are mildly enjoyable, and although much of the humor didn't work for me, I did laugh at a few lines. But it went sharply downhill in the third act, which revolves around an extended bout of homophobia. Even for a film that wallows in seediness, this was entirely too distasteful. It ruined the characters for me, who I just starting to grow fond of. Even ignoring this, it's not very witty, save for a few scattered moments.

Don't remember well enough to give a proper ranking, so just going with the RottenTomatoes Top Critics' rating. Considering my average "pretty good; worthwhile" rating of 7.5, I'm confident this deserves *at least* an 85.