Critics either love director William Richert's bizarre black comedies or they hate them. In his previous film, WINTER KILLS (1979), he took on the Kennedy family myth and the craziness of American power brokers. In THE AMERICAN SUCCESS COMPANY, Jeff Bridges stars (as he did in WINTER

KILLS) as the nice-guy son of a tycoon (Ned Beatty). It seems that Harry (Bridges) can't do anything right and is constantly being reminded of that fact by his dad and his oversexed wife (Belinda Bauer). To prove he can be a success, Harry becomes a tough guy and gets what he wants by pushing

people around. He even hires a much experienced prostitute (Bianca Jagger) to teach him how to be a supreme lover. Though not as thematically complex or fascinating as WINTER KILLS, this film has a wonderful sense of style, offering fabulous sets, a strong cast, and inventive cinematography.