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Harry Joy (Barry Otto) wakes up in a psychiatric hospital, after his family has bribed corrupt doctors to certify him. His friend and colleague Alex Duval (Tim Robertson) is already there, masquerading as the real Harry Joy. The hospital’s chief executive, Mrs Dalton (Kerry Walker) points out some unpleasant facts to Harry – who tries to maintain his identity against her inexorable logic.
Curator’s notes
The film works so well partly because of the freshness of its performances, and especially in the comedic turns of certain actors. Kerry Walker’s brief appearance as Alice Dalton, the administrator from hell, is a good example of how well developed the comedy is. Harry’s bewilderment at not being allowed to be Harry works perfectly to reinforce his sense that he’s living in hell. Loss of identity is one of the modern definitions of hell; being locked up in a mental hospital is another.
