(1990)
2.5
Karl Williams
Vastly underrated director Tony Bill reunites with Dudley Moore, the star of his film Six Weeks (1982), for this memorable comedy that relies too much on its genuinely funny central idea and not enough on developing its hilarious ensemble of wacky supporting characters. What works phenomenally well in this box-office bust is the concept of literal truth in advertising. Not only are the brutally honest ad campaigns dreamed up by screenwriter Mitch Markowitz scathingly funny, they remind the audience of just how overwhelmingly disingenuous are the corporate messages with which they are endlessly barraged. Much to the film's detriment, though, the lead role of Emory (Moore) is woefully unexplored, as are the delightful supporting players he meets in the insane asylum, particularly George (David Paymer) (the "Hello" guy), around whom much more comic business should have been built. If the rest of Crazy People (1990) had been as wickedly subversive as the picture's high-concept pitch, the final product might have been a comedy classic.
Crazy People on AllMovie
Crazy People (1990)
