The Associate

This comedy drama is a weak vehicle for Whoopi Goldberg, who plays a Wall Street analyst who can't move up the career ladder because she's a woman. After she has taken the rather radical action of setting up her own company with a fictitious male partner, matters are further complicated when her excuses for his absences run out and she actually has to produce the mystery man. Despite fun performances from Goldberg, Dianne Wiest and Bebe Neuwirth from Cheers, there just aren't enough jokes in Donald Petrie's film to keep the audience interested until the end credits.

Perhaps it was time for a male impersonation, after an overdose of other drag acts in mainstream films, but this vehicle is too ramshackle and lacking in humour to make the effort seem worthwhile.