I always enjoy Whoopi Goldberg in films, and the 1996 film "The Associate" is no exception. Based on a French film, it's the story of a Laurel Ayres (Goldberg) who is having trouble "making it" in a man's world, though she's smarter than all of them. After being manipulated and beaten out of a promotion at her old job by slick Frank (Tim Daly),Laurel starts her own company and quickly goes nowhere. She gets some help from an assistant at the old firm, Sally (Diane Wiest) and ultimately decides to make up a male associate, Robert Cutty. It works like a charm, and business is flying in the door. However, everyone is most anxious to meet Cutty, and there comes a point when she has to produce him. And when she does, he's obviously been based on Marlon Brando - the older Marlon Brando.

This is an amusing film that could have been hilarious. It does have some great moments, though, and likable characters in Goldberg and Wiest. Other fine performances include those of Daly, Lainie Kazan as a cutting columnist and Eli Wallach as a client.

The other problem I have with the film is that it is sorely dated. It's hard to believe that, while sexism still exists, Laurel would have so much trouble from the old boys' network in 1996. Sure enough, as I suspected, the film on which it is based was done in 1979. Remington Steele, a TV series based on the same premise, was produced in the '80s.

Surely in 1996, a woman of Laurel's obvious talent would have been more appreciated where she worked and could have launched a successful business without a fake male associate. Anne Mulcahy of Xerox and Ho Ching of Temasek Holdings are only two examples of such powerful executives from the 1990s.

Still, it's entertaining and fun, and a reminder that they don't make this kind of comedy anymore.

Laurel Ayres (Whoopi Goldberg) and Frank Peterson (Tim Daly) are a top notch investment team. Laurel does all the work and her protégé Frank does the schmoozing. When the underhanded Frank gets her expected VP promotion, Laurel quits in frustration. She starts her own investment firm but everybody gives her the same brush off. Sally Dugan (Dianne Wiest) also quits and joins Laurel in her start-up. When businessman Donald Fallon (Eli Wallach) gives Laurel the same brush off, she manufactures a male partner named Robert S. Cutty. Unlike a black woman, a white man is immediately accepted into the old boys' club even though no one has ever seen him.

Whoopi Goldberg is too bitter and angry to be likeable. As a comedy, there are no laughs. It's not like Laurel is a nice person herself. Sally points out how dismissive she is to other women. It's interesting that Bebe Neuwirth's Camille Scott uses sex to get ahead as a foil. The whole boys club mentality is interesting but none of it is funny. As far as hitting the glass ceiling, there is a real reason why Laurel doesn't get promoted above the male chauvinist reasons. She has to be a good salesman as part of her job and she lacks the emotional IQ. Her character needs to be superior in every way to Frank and she's not. It's a dog eat dog world on Wall Street. When Laurel dress up Tootsie style, I fear for the worst but at least she looks reasonable as an old white guy. She looks like a bloated Martin Short. The premise is interesting but I don't like Laurel. Without that, it's hard to find any appealing comedy in this.

Laurel Ayres (Whoopi Goldberg) is a very competent financial analyst who is deceived by her colleague Frank (Timothy Daly) in a promotion to VP. She decides to quit her job and open her own investment company. However, being a woman, she feels difficulties to get into this type of business in Wall Street. She decides to pretend she has a male associate in her company, who would be responsible for the advices. Together with her assistant Sally (the lovely Diane Wiest),they pass through funny situations. This pretentiousness comedy recalls the plot of Mike Nichols' `Working Girl', if you consider the storyline of a competent employee who has her own merits credited to another person. The film is not regular, and Laurel Ayres sometimes is bright, but other times she behaves like a stupid. Further, in the present days, it is hard to believe such a prejudice in Wall Street. This DVD has just been released in Brazil. For my surprise, this is a 1996 movie. My vote is six.