After years of making movies in the fringes of the Hollywood system after his debut success sex, lies, and videotape, director Steven Soderbergh made Schizopolis as, in his own words, an artistic "wake-up call to himself." The result is a discombobulated, irreverent, comedic meta-movie, a cinematic hall of mirrors nearly impossible to describe. Soderbergh wrote, directed, photographed, edited, and even stars in the film as Fletcher Munson, a disillusioned paper-pusher assigned to write a
deliberately meaningless speech for T. Azimuth Schwitters, an L. Ron Hubbard-esque self-help guru whose new book Eventualism is a bestseller. His heart isn't in it, however, so he spends most of his time either masturbating in the employee bathroom, avoiding calls from people who want to hire him as a company spy, or listening to the paranoid delusions of his office chum, Nameless Numberhead Man. Intertwined with Munson's attempt to write glib diatribes are numerous asides and subplots. Best of all is the story of Elmo Oxygen: an orange-jumpsuit wearing bug exterminator who appears to be sleeping with several of his customers, including T. Azimuth Schwitters' wife. At one point, Elmo is coerced into leaving Schizopolis, mid-scene, to join another movie. Convoluted and playful as the movie is, there is some method to Soderbergh's madness. The various plot threads, though loosely wound to the core, do in fact lead to some understanding of the disorders, communication problems, and frustrations at the heart of contemporary life. ~ Anthony Reed, Rovi
Schizopolis represents a minor act of self-indulgence on the part of the sometimes eccentric Steven Soderbergh but results in major tedium for the viewer.
a filmmaking exercise from someone eager to stretch his legs, do something goofy, and experiment, all of which Soderbergh does without losing his audience
Soderbergh's "smallest" film is also one of his most personal and original, a biting satire of modern life and marriage that he wrote, directed, lensed, and starred in; though fractured and uneven, it's an underestimated work.
However, if there is a revelation in Schizopolis, it's Soderbergh himself, who proves, in his only acting role to date, to be an extremely gifted comedic actor.
Schizopolis is Steven Soderbergh's berserk and uneven attempt to mimic Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou; he wants to provoke reaction but he's not quite sure how to go about it.
A truly strange film, it makes no sense and makes total sense all at the same time. Steven Soderbergh, at the top of his game, handles directing, editing, scoring, camerawork and the lead role in this comedic oddity.
A satire towards films that lean towards the pretentious; Schizopolis is a mishmash of a knowing of all things narrator, several different roles all portrayed by Steven Soderbergh, dubbing in three languages, bottomless elderly men, and a start and finish that will have you in peals of laughter. Mostly great for the
humor, and artistic value, where you could find it, this basically unknown film is a treat to watch.
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