HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING feels like a natural follow-up to WITHNAIL & I for director Bruce Robinson. It's another cult, quirky, idiosyncratic story, even more bizarre than the cult classic which preceded it. Richard E. Grant gives perhaps the most manic performance of his career as an advertising executive who succumbs to the pressure of the job and begins to imagine that a living, conscious boil is growing out of his shoulder. It's a bizarre and gruesome premise for sure, but one which feels remarkably grounded given Grant's warts-and-all performance. He dominates every screen in what is a very difficult part to play and he succeeds admirably. The rest of the film is a mix of quick-fire monologues, plenty of satire aimed at advertising and consumerism, and well-judged supporting performances.

Denis Dimbleby Bagley is a slick young advertising executive who is on his way up. However with his latest project he is struggling to come up with a way of selling a new pimple cream. The pressure on him to meet a deadline when he has creative block is so great that he develops a boil on his shoulder. His wife is concerned as he is aggressive and a bit rude at first but, when the boil begins talking to him and developing features, Bagley goes completely over the edge into insanity.In theory this is supposed to be a satire on commercialism but to be honest it is a deeply flawed one. At times it produces some wonderful lines (some of them up there with Withnail) and good ideas but it is mostly a messy affair as it lacks a structure and narrative flow. The boil idea distracts from the main thrust of the splitting personality of Bagley; it is an interesting device but it doesn't really work and the effects are not really up to the job of delivering the second head idea. This part is where the film is weak, and it is the majority of the time. Individual speeches and scenes are good but generally the whole thing is a mess.Fortunately for Campbell, he has brought Grant with him for this film and he is on great form. Of course in some scenes there is little he can do, but give him great dialogue and let him loose and he's great. If the film has anything worth seeing it for then it is undoubtedly Grant delivering some wonderful speeches and lines. The rest of the cast is a distant, distant second with nobody really marking themselves out for any praise. This is not because they are no good but just because Grant is in full flow and given all the good lines.Overall then, despite having some very good moments and very funny lines, this mess is mostly a failed satire that doesn't hang together or flow at all.

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS*** How To Get Ahead In Advertising is a film about a man and his preoccupation with boils. Doesn't sound like your cup of tea, eh? Well, if you're a fan of dark comedy, this twisted British satire is a riot! I was a little hesitant because the title of this film seemed like some sort of bore, trust me though, you will be in stitches! I would certainly like to see some of the directors other works, especially Withnail & I. Too bad the Criterion Collection DVD is out of print, for I would certainly have it among my collection. Great dual performance from the lead actor Richard E. Grant. I give this a 7/10, and recommend it for anyone who enjoys outlandish comedies.

Richard E. Grant is Dennis Bagley, an advertising executive who goes mad when he finds a boil growing on his neck that begins to talk to him. Basically a socialist manifesto that doesn't beat you upside the head with propaganda... UNTIL the last half hour or so. (As opposed to PURE propaganda such as "John Q", or to a lesser extant, "American Beauty") But when it DOES, boy does it ever. At one point in the film a taped Denis Bagley actually equates the Holocaust with eating meat. PETA would LOVE this film, just for that insane tripe on it's own. The sad thing is before all this socialistic BS, it actually was an OK film. This gets a passing grade, if just barely. However it IS a million times better then another "growing appendix" movie, "The Dark Backwards" (which is out and out HORRID!)My Grade: D