Putney Swope
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After several years working along the margins of the underground film scene in New York, director Robert Downey broke through to wider recognition with the arthouse hit Putney Swope, a wildly irreverent satire of race and advertising in America. Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) is the token African-American executive at an otherwise all-white advertising agency when the chairman of the board unexpectedly drops dead. Through a fluke in the chain of command, Swope becomes the new head of the firm, and decides its time to do things his way. He fires nearly all the staff (except for his one token… More

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Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%

Critic Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes

"The situations include political caricature, but disappointedly nothing much beyond marginal interest occurs. The comedy is only intermittently funny and the satire is mostly shallow and obvious."
‑ , Variety
"The commercials... are absolutely brilliant, and the sheer gonzo tenacity of the whole enterprise makes it all work, even the stuff that doesn't work."
‑ Christopher Long, Movie Metropolis
"Great drug-fuelled and flawed social commentary."
‑ Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
"A satire on American ways of life, written and directed by Downey and misfiring on most cylinders."
‑ Derek Adams, Time Out
"A way of giving the middle finger to Madison Avenue."
‑ Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
"If you're in a silly enough mood, you might have a good time."
‑ Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
"The humor is occasionally forced, with some cliched comedic devices serving as satire. The commercial parodies, however, are devastatingly funny and right on the money."
‑ , TV Guide's Movie Guide
More reviews for Putney Swope on Rotten Tomatoes