Les fous de la pub

I saw this movie back when it was in theatres, and busted up laughing when I saw it, it can make an excellent addition to your home video collection. It makes you wonder whether advertisers in real life should start acting like the ones in the film... "Forget France - Come to Greece. We're Nicer."

I'm kind of stuck. Half of this movie is the most hilarious I have seen this decade, the other half I could very well have lived without.

"Crazy People" talks about two types of nut cases: ones that are committed to institutions and the others who think they are normal and live on the other side of the wall. Of course, the main crux of the story is when Moore's life takes a nose-dive and he cracks, writing brutally savage ads for some very well-known products ("Quaker Oats - How does it taste? Who knows, but at least the BOX is cute"). Of course, nothing tops the tag line he makes for that horror movie "The Freak" or the ticket lady's comment about this movie later on.

His bosses put him away and then, when his printed ads catch fire and turn advertising on its ear, they recruit him to write more. Only this time, he gets the others in the asylum with him to write ads, too.

Now, this part is funny.

What isn't funny is when they start to take the story seriously and try to shoehorn drama into parts where it doesn't make every single person out as some level of wacko. Drama has its place but not in a movie that takes potshots at Metamucil.

Moore is really great, this is his last really funny role since "Arthur". Reiser has some good scenes as does Hannah, Walsh, Paymer and Ruehl and then there's the ads. My gosh, has there ever been anything ever written as funny as these? Not since "Mad Magazine", really.

"Crazy People" is at least half great; the craziest things in it, though, are the people who thought it should have serious parts.

Five stars for "Crazy People" - watch it for the ads.

This is not the most intellectually stimulating film ever made. Nor is it the most believable plot - but it is funny, whimsical and charming, and occasionally surreal. If you want a film to brighten up your life, this fits the bill just nicely. The supporting cast are also very engaging, being far more than just a backdrop to Moore and Hannah. I like it a lot.

My brother and I spotted this when we were renting a movie in one of those big discount bins of random movies. We sometimes enjoy watching stupid movies just for the hell of it and thought thats what it was going to turn out to be. We were pleasantly surprised with about the first half of the movie. Take out the throughly unnecessary love story and this movie could be an hour shorter and would probably get a much higher rating. Now I sometimes watch it, fast forwarding through the tedious bits. I would recommend it, but I don't know that I would pay more than a coupla bucks for the pleasure of watching it. It's the kind of movie that you get excited about showing friends, and glow with pride at finding such a great movie for a good part of but then sit around uncomfortably for stretches of it because you know they are inexcusably boring.

Emory Leeson (Dudley Moore) and Stephen Bachman (Paul Reiser) are writing partners in a New York ad agency. Frustrated Emory develops writer's block after his wife leaves him taking everything. He's tired of lying and his painfully honest ads infuriate their boss Drucker (J.T. Walsh). Bachman sends him to a psychiatric retreat in the care of Dr. Liz Baylor (Mercedes Ruehl). His ads are accidentally released and become hugely successful. Drucker sends Bachman to get him back but he has fallen for beautiful Kathy Burgess (Daryl Hannah) and the relaxed lifestyle. He and the group of misfits start writing highly successful ads.

The ads are fun. The idea of satire on the advertising industry has promise. The execution has some fun moments with the crazy people group. The romance however has no heat. Hannah is nice but there is little chemistry. The Drucker villain is too broad. The satire has no bite. It's not horrible but it's forgettable.