Withnail and I

Last night I was watching the 1986 film Withnail and I, directed by Bruce Robinson. The film is set in London in 1969 and follows two unemployed actors: Withnail (played by Richard E. Grant) a flamboyant alcoholic who pauses in his constant drinking only long enough to deliver long speeches about his own genius and the indignities heaped upon him by cruel fate, and his quieter, nervous friend Marwood (Paul McGann) who more or less goes along with whatever Withnail suggests. The two share a decaying, squalid flat as they hope for their big break. The two go off for a holiday to the English countryside where they stay in a miserable cottage and have to contend with bad weather, hostile locals and baffling wildlife, while Marwood has to work hard to avoid the advances of Withnail's infatuated Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths). The film at turns both hilarious and tragic, and is often acclaimed as "Britain's Greatest Cult Movie". The movie is based on Robinson's own experiences as a struggling actor in the sixties. Despite playing an alcoholic, Richard E. Grant is a teetotaller and Robinson felt that he would be unable to play the part without knowing what it was like to be drunk and hungover, and so he "forced" Grant to go on a drinking binge (an experience Grant found extremely unpleasant). Also in one scene Withnail drinks lighter fluid, and Grant had been told that it would be water in the lighter, but Robinson replaced it with vinegar without telling him. The look of complete disgust on Grant's face in that scene was real and unscripted.

I also finished reading the novel The Way Home by George Pelecanos. It's a crime novel set in Washington DC, and opens with teenager Chris Flynn being sent to a juvenile prison for a series of thefts, drug use and getting into fights. As an adult, Chris is determined to go straight and is working in his father's flooring company, with a friend of his from prison, until they discover a bag full of money hidden under the floorboards of a new house. The two have to decide what to do about it, a decision which will have dangerous consequences when the owners of the money decide to reclaim it. The book is fast moving, exciting and affecting.

At work today I got a £20 voucher which was really nice, it was because I'd been helping someone out a lot with their work. Also apparently there is going to be a two day strike in the coming few weeks. Although I'll be on holiday at that time, so I won't really have to worry about it.