Schizopolis
Inspired by rumors, bald-faced lies, and half-remembered dreams!
Fletcher Munson has a doppelganger in dentist Dr. Jeffrey Korchek. In his only starring performance to date, acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh inhabits both roles: that of Munson, onanistic corporate drone and speechwriter for New Age guru T. Azimuth Schwitters, and the swinging Korchek, Muzak enthusiast and lover of Munson's disenchanted wife. Meanwhile, mad exterminator and part-time celebrity prima donna Elmo Oxygen plots against Schwitters while using his trademark babble to seduce local housewives. Placing the onus squarely on the viewer ("If you don't understand this film, it's your fault not ours"), writer-director-cameraman-star Soderbergh presents a deranged comedy of confused identity, doublespeak, and white-knuckle corporate intrigue, confirming his status as one of America's most daring and unpredictable filmmakers.
Member Reviews
Beautiful insanity! - KeithTalent
This movie is insane...and I love it! An early Steven Soderbergh film that on the surface is about a guy that works for a self-help type of place, but it's really more of a release for Soderbergh, a commentary on all kinds of things, from the boredom of everyday life, to the shallowness of Hollywood. It jumps all over the place, has a bunch of crazy wordplay (my favourite parts), and is really a crazy piece of film-making. I can't imagine very many people watching this and liking it, but the absurdity of it and the off the wall humour and dialogue really worked for me. I'll be watching this again very soon.Profound exclamation of contentment - bartonfink
If I was a high school teacher I'd be tempted to throw this into the curriculum just to listen to the uproar. I'm not a fan of experimental cinema, but my general appreciation of Soderbergh's works drew me to this bizarre gem. Absurdism squared, this film still manages to make a coherent whole that contains resonance. Rent it, ignore those voices that dismiss it and tell you to turn it off, and it shall reveal itself to you.Weird, but not awful - Port_Moresby
Enjoyable if challenging experimental film by prolific filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who here takes an odd turn by playing the lead role(s) himself. He’s both a corporate employee assigned to write speeches for a megastar motivational speaker and a dentist who oddly enough is having an affair with his double’s wife. Through strange fits of coincidence, surreal news broadcasts and hilariously bent exchanges of dialogue (including one where Soderbergh and his wife refer to each other with bland third-person statements instead of personal exchanges), Soderbergh forces us to examine our ideas of happiness and reality. It’s not particularly weighty or entertaining, but as purposely challenging and fractured experimental films go, it’s not nearly as annoying as the more self-indulgent ones tend to be.
Member Reviews
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Beautiful insanity! - KeithTalent
This movie is insane...and I love it! An early Steven Soderbergh film that on the surface is about a guy that works for a self-help type of place, but it's really more of a release for Soderbergh, a commentary on all kinds of things, from the boredom of everyday ...Profound exclamation of contentment - bartonfink
If I was a high school teacher I'd be tempted to throw this into the curriculum just to listen to the uproar. I'm not a fan of experimental cinema, but my general appreciation of Soderbergh's works drew me to this bizarre gem. Absurdism squared, this film ...Weird, but not awful - Port_Moresby
Enjoyable if challenging experimental film by prolific filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who here takes an odd turn by playing the lead role(s) himself. He’s both a corporate employee assigned to write speeches for a megastar motivational speaker and a dentist ...