"Eat the Rich" is a sharp comedy from the increasingly ambitious "Comic Strip" stable. The story concerns the attempts of waiter Lanah Pellay to get back at society, by opening a restaurant called "Eat the Rich"; this immediate success attracts hundreds of well-off clients, who seem to miss the significance of the restaurant's name. The film is stolen though by Pellay's nemesis Nosher Powell, who plays one of the most disgusting creations in modern cinema - a slob and a thug, a government minister who discharges his responsibilities by getting drunk and trying to get off with the Queen. Powell becomes a tabloid hero, whose rise to fame is hindered only by Pellay's revolutionary antics. If the restaurant itself is a bit over the top and unconvincing, the film nevertheless succeeds in hitting all its targets, and there are many of them - from the tabloid press through the dole office and restaurant culture itself, modern Britain finds itself under savage attack. Of course, whether you appreciate the humour of the film will depend on whether you appreciate the humour of the "alternative" comedians who founded the Comic Strip. It's not a Carry On film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a well-scripted and well-acted black comedy, far superior to the previous Comic Strip feature "The Supergrass", and with enough cameos to keep you star-spotting through the quieter moments.
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Soundtrack
Unmemorable
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Good
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