Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Richard E. Grant as Bagley brings to the film both his best and most outrageous performance. As the slick advertising salesman, Bagley is the cold-hearted business man who would see his own mother lose all her teeth if he thought it would sell more denture cream. The brilliant opening scene has him announcing that we want to sell them 30% less [of fat] and 20% more [of nutrition]; they are selling an image and idea, not a product! Bagley begins to second guess his profession and when the idea of having to come up with a boil cream begins to make his conscience ill, he opts to quit in pursuit of higher ideals.
It is then, that the supernatural takes over, and Bagley gets a boil on his neck that he believes has begun to turn into a face, causing him to go utterly insane to the horror of his wife who sees nothing but the boil. The insanity multiplies and the boil becomes Bagley's evil advertising alter-ego, and the insanity delves into the depths of all that is great in British black humour.
The boil-alter-ego finally takes over the reformed Bagley identity, and Bagley becomes much worse than he'd ever been.
The script is poignant, if not a little bit preachy on the evils of advertising. But Richard E. Grant gives his heart and soul to make the character fully dimensional and incredibly funny. His insanity is put in perfect perspective by his wife, played sublimely by Rachel Ward, who is as supportive and understanding as she can to a husband who seems to have gone over the brink.
For the originality, commentary, wittiness, acting, quotable dialogue, and pure insanity, this has been one of my favourite movies ever. It's no Citizen Kane (do people really like that movie, anyway! ), but it is without a doubt a must-see, just for the experience!
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Two heads are not necessarily better than one in this "highly entertaining" (The Hollywood Reporter), "blistering" (Los Angeles) satire about a man brought to the edge of insanity by a rival out for control of his career and his body!To hotshot ad exec Dennis Bagley (RichardE. Grant), people are pathetic sheep to whom he can sell anything except a brand-new pimple cream. Creatively blocked, Dennis becomes so stressed that he sprouts a pimple of his own a pimple that eventually grows into a huge head...with a mind and a voice! Before long, the sassy carbuncle takes over Dennis' life, revealing to him a diabolical plan to control the masses. Now Dennis must find courage deep within himself to save societyand himselffrom the beastly blemish!
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