Crazy People

Dudley Moore plays a jaded copywriter who ends up in a sanatorium after he decides to produce ads devoid of hype. His fellow patients suffer from a variety of stereotypes, the worst case being Daryl Hannah, who harbours a dangerous penchant for loose dresses and baggy cardigans. Everyone feels much better once spurred into writing ads; and the agency snaps up their copy when consumers become hungry for truth. This is a lazy, obvious film, functionally directed and crudely characterised, which testifies to, rather than criticises, the power and influence of advertising. John Malkovich, originally cast, walked out on the project. Now there's an actor who knows when to make an exit.