How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989)

Beautiful, moving film.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This film is destined to become a cult favorite thanks to its edgy delivery and clever use of Orwell's plot structure. The other reviews seem to not mention that understanding the true depth of this movie relies on being familiar with 1984 and its themes. In a way this movie IS the true 1984 since it tackles the dishonesty in consumerism which we are only now coming to grips with. If being labeled "Orwellian" signifies a Totalitarian idea, than this movie deserves credit for whatever term future-people designate for a consumerist idea.Following 1984 point-to-point, we are introduced to our protagonist as a true believer (and perpetrator), follow him through his discovery and internal dilemma, and then the eventual succumbing to the culture of the times (however unwillingly)."How to Get Ahead in Advertising" is truly a thoughtful and clever piece, however wordy and hard to follow at times; appreciating it really does depend on how aware the viewer is of what is going on, and what it is trying to say about Consumerism's purpose and origins.

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.

Well, this is indeed a strange one.If you're looking for something to pass an evening, and you have a weird streak, this is the movie for you.I agree with the last poster, the ending was very lame, and frankly I didn't listen to it too deeply. I would have preferred some of the other suggestions for the ending that the poster wrote, such as having a boil grow on the wife for company. Actually, if the boil would take over on the wife like it did on Dennis, that would be even better. Or, if the boil head would grow ANOTHER boil head, that would be pretty keen as well. Either way, you will definately not be disappointed with this movie.

Its a brave, scathingly funny film that might be an acquired taste. This one definitely needs a memorable quotes section!! For a film made so long ago, its quite an accurate and eerie depiction of what the PR industry has mutated into...