How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989, Bruce Robinson) (Patreon)

58/100

A film that I enjoy, to the degree that I do, in spite of its memorably absurdist premise. Grant has so much nasty fun in his initial incarnation as a self-loathing cynic—love the way his phony American accent (adopted for a hypothetical ad voiceover) gradually reverts to venom-dripping Britishness as disgust takes over—that I was disappointed by the shift into manic mode, and then relieved when the boil supplants its host and resumes that personality (with a tacky mustache this time). The talking boil itself, however, doesn't live up to its comic potential. Maybe it needed stronger dialogue, or a better voice actor than Robinson, or not to have its psychological function laboriously explained for the benefit of terminally clueless viewers. (It's the Psycho psychiatrist all over again, except smack in the middle of the movie rather than at the end.) Or maybe it's just that the boil’s presence forces Grant to spend a good 40 minutes eschewing sardonic vitriol, at which he excels, in favor of running around in his underwear screaming and whatnot, at which...well, he tries. (Plus I can only take so much vintage Jim Carrey, even.) Upshot is that I dig this mostly when it's dry and droll, and wish I could throw a bunch of retroactive Supporting Actor Skandies points at Richard Wilson, who's hilariously imperturbable as Bagley's boss. The hyperactive stuff, on the other hand, reminded me of Withnail & I's penchant for reveling in alcoholic boorishness, which I found off-putting rather than amusing. (Might chalk that up to my being a lifelong teetotaler, were it not for Barfly, which I love. Very different sensibilities.) Also, boils and carbuncles are gross and quite unpleasant to look at for long stretches, there's no getting around that. Ewww.