Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

bob the moo 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.

Raegan Butcher This movie is a riot. Richard E Grant gives an amazingly intense performance. His entire role seems to consist of nothing but brilliantly scabrous monologues. His acerbic take on everything around him starts at a fever pitch and then giddily topples over into outright inspired lunacy. See this film if for no other reason than to get a glimpse of him naked save for a kitchen apron, gleefully stuffing raw chickens down the toilet drain and all the while explaining, " Everything I do makes sense, everything i do has a reason!"I prefer this style of over the top attack much more than the drier and more subtle (!) mode employed by both writer-director Bruce Robinson and Richard E. Grant in their first collaboration, WITHNAIL & I.The heights of comic outlandishness achieved in HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING is something that is rarely achieved by any film and it is doubly commendable that everything done here ( no matter how tastelessly crazy) still never stoops to the childishly vulgar levels that most American comedies regularly splash about in like mental asylum inmates happily playing with their own feces. Yes, despite everything this film attempts ( and achieves) it still retains a sense of sophistication that shows what thuddingly awful garbage ( i am looking directly at you AUSTIN POWERS, SCARY MOVIE, etc, etc) is usually regarded as the height of comedy.

hohumdedum2 ***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.

monartistik This is film is definitely a black comedy, which some may find rather bizarre. It is based on an allegory: Our conscience. Richard E. Grant was fab!! His work in this film, is not to be missed. The entire cast was fantastik, including the beautiful and talented Rachel Ward, Jacqueline Tong, Pauline Melville & I believe that was Susan Woolridge! They were all sublime!Initially you may feel that the acting is a bit forced, or quirky, but it's supposed to be. If you don't understand it, don't give up, try to listen between the lines. The message relates to the advertising world & the media, which in turn, try to control the minds of the consumer. It's the advertisers who pay the ad agencies, media & newspapers to advertise. What's scary is that there are individuals who believe just about everything they see, read, or hear. Why? I don't know. Maybe you'll get it after seeing the film & start listening to yourselves. We loved it!