The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer
Peter cook minus Dudley moore , is Michael Rimmer a mysterious gentlemen who turns up at a rather badly run advertising agency headed by Ferret (Arthur Lowe).Everybody assumes he has been employed by Dennis Price as Fairburn to do a time and motion study. Slowly Rimmer takes control of the company getting Ferret reduced to a tea boy and general dogs body. Peter Cooks Micheal Rimmer character effortlessly jumps from advertising agent to head of a polling agency, but his real aim is to become the prime minister or maybe President. It probably won't come to any surprise to anyone that this satire on fame and politics is just as relevant today as it was back then, probably more so now that people want fame but not the hard work of getting it .Rimmer manipulates tory leader Ronald Fraser as Tom Hutchinson ,for his sown aims of getting power in the future. Whether its big business, the military or student unions everybody seems to be open to corruption and bribery. The cast is pretty much a whos who of 60's comedy , from John Cleese , Ronnie Corbett and Arthur Lowe to name a few, but its Peter Cook who manages to convey a veneer of mischievous evil and pure smugness throughout the film without breaking a sweat,in fact his performance is almost robotic like ,which is just what the role needed, imagine in the film Westworld there was a Polticworld ,just full of smarmy grinning idiots who will tell you anything just to get your vote ,then that's Michael Rimmer, but instead of Yul Brynner its Peter Cook. Its the world of spin doctors and political shenanigan's, to win over the Home Secretary who doesn't want anything to do with a Tory party that condones racism , he's mysteriously beaten up by a black mugger. Now I never said the humour was subtle or in some cases politically correct, check out the close up shots of Valerie Leon bottom,but hey its tail end of the 60's the only thing that's missing is Arthur Lowe doing an impression of Lee Harvey Oswald,Oh wait he does.
out of 5
