There was censorship in the Soviet Union, so being a humorist was not easy. Because only Karl Marx could wear a beard, and the patronymic of Ilyich could only be from Ilyich, and not from the macaques with whom they shoot on the beach.
Boris Arkadyev is a Soviet satirist, tired of everyone wanting to listen to his unfunny (in fact, unfunny) monologue about the macaque on the beach. He can joke much more angrier and sharper, which regularly shows on his "friends" and even beats off their girl for one night. He has the most common human midlife crisis. He's sick and tired of the word. This story can't end well. Only bad or very bad for Arkadyev and perestroika for everyone else.
Alexey Agranovich, who played the main role, is a very strong actor almost unknown to the big public (probably because he is strong) and he managed to show that terrible moment in life, when either you climb into the loop, or leave the family, or just get drunk. Because it's sick. In fact, this is sickening and the movie!