If we do indeed have readers, which I seriously doubt, this may prove to be a very specific post that is not for everyone. Doc and I were speaking recently about underrated movies and I thought I would do a post talking about a film I think is greatly underrated. I don't know if this will turn into a movie review or a synopsis or if it will be entertaining to anyone but myself, but we will see how this goes.
As far as underrated movies go, I wanted to pick one that was beyond underrated and closer to unknown territory. Also I wanted to find one that was packed full of meaning and incredibly experimental and interesting. And so, last night I found myself watching Schizopolis. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh who directed Traffic, Erin Brokovich and Ocean's 11. All of these films I do not really care for that much, with the possible exception of his Out of Sight.
Schizopolis is like no other film I have ever seen. It is meaningless, yet there is so much meaning in it. The movie is told in three chapters, each introduced by the appearance of a number in a random place in normal everyday moments. The first chapter is told from the point of view of Fletcher Munson, a lowly employee for the new age religion, Eventualism. This is a clear satire of Scientology. Now when I say it is told from his point of view this is something that can not be easily understood right away. It is totally told from his point of view. When he sees someone smoking the audience then sees that person having several medical procedures and eventually dying from this. When he hears of someone having a heart attack a doctor comes on screen explaining the medical problems this man has with a medical chart included. When he is bored in having the same conversation over and over again with his wife the words are replaced by words which describe what they are saying, for example:
Fletcher: Generic Greeting
Wife: Generic Greeting Returned
Fletcher: Question about upcoming sustenance
Wife: Well rehearsed speech about how hard raising a family is
And so on. This is what makes the movie really amazing. It captures how mundane life can be in a way which is entertaining and endlessly creative. Chapter two is told from the point of view of Fletcher's doppelganger, who is a successful dentist. Both of these characters equally have a problem with their boring existence, even though one is successful and one isn't. The final chapter is told from the point of view of all the women in the film, including main ones and ones which have had just one line in the film. Here we see the other side of the conversation illustrated above when Fletcher's wife literally hears her husband speak in another language. This illustrates just how far away their communication has become.
Oh and this movie is hilarious. There is also a great subplot about a spy trying to bring down Eventualism and a want to be action star speaking nonsense parodying action films, while at the same time proving to be an important player in the film's ending. Explaining the movie anymore will ruin the excitement of watching it. However, it is a great film which is perfect for those tired of boring big budget movies and is a challenging watch which may require multiple viewings to make sense of everything. Also, the movie has a lot of meaning in its seemingly unrelated and bizarre actions that, like all great works of art, will mean something different to each viewer. I guess the movie may not be for everyone but it is definitely and underrated film which deserves attention for its creativity, exploration of the banality of every day life, satire on new age religions and dark humor.
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