Shiza

Perhaps one of the most overlooked and underrated Films at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, Schizo is an excellent film from start to finish. Set in the rarely filmed former Soviet Satellite country of Kazakhstan, the film focuses on a 15-year-old street hustler named Schizo who works for his mother's rather unscrupulous boyfriend as a recruiter of young boxers for illegal match fights for gamblers. When one of Schizo's boxing recruits dies in the ring, the ailing man asks Schizo to deliver his share of the prize money to his 28-year-old girlfriend and young son. Schizo agrees to carry out the man's last request but after finding the woman and child living in a tiny shack in the middle of nowhere, he decides to adopt the family as his own and quickly falls in love with the woman.

Director Guka Omarova's decision to cast Olzhas Nusuppaev, a real-life orphan in the lead roll of Schizo truly adds a sense of realism to this great film. I strongly recommend seeing this film; it is a phenomenal piece of work.

Schizophrenic Mustafa (Schizo) is not. His classmates have given him that nickname because they think he is crazy. And a doctor is treating him with pills. There's nothing crazy about him. He's not even as slow as he is made out to be. He is non-verbal, yes. But those eyes see it all. He lives in a country where men have no jobs, the land has no produce, a desolate place. He lives with an uncle who involves him in recruiting men to fight bare-knuckled, even to the death, in an illegal boxing racket. He is taken in by a young widow who starts as his substitute mother. But they learn to love each other and come to an intimacy that is presented to us beautifully. We don't even think of incest. Fine acting. We get to know them so well. Great direction and camera work. Put it on your list of ones to see.

There is something magical in the films from Central Asian republics that serious viewers cannot disassociate themselves from them.No one knows for sure whether it has got something to do with folklore or customs or the fact that they have freed themselves from Soviet union.Whatever might be the reason it is sure that some of the films from these reasons are made by enterprising film makers who have always made nice films despite having been burdened with lack of funds.Schizo is one such film made by Guka Omarova.In the past she has been assistant to the great Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov.She has made good use of the current day political situation in Kazakhstan to make an entertaining film by using some rather common dramatic elements.Schizo functions as a double edged sword as not only it entertains but always leaves a serious message on viewers' minds.The film is a watchable treat thanks to the title character who proves in the end that the week and meek are not to be taken for granted.

Schizo. This appears to be the first major picture out of Kahzikstan and what an impressive, stunning debut of a film. Schizo is the story of a 15 year old boy everyone thinks is schizophrenic. He's kicked out of school for fighting, but instantly the viewer will recognize this young man as the sanest, most responsible person in the film. He's hired by his mother's boyfriend to recruit fighters for illegal bare-knuckle fights. Shortly into his new career, a young dying fighter asks the boy to bring his winnings to his girlfriend and his son. Immediately Schizo develops a sense of responsibility for this little family and does whatever he can to ensure their well being. Things turn nasty, but a pervading sense of hope seems to light Schizo's eyes and one never questions his judgment and he stays true to some code of honor that no one else seems to have in this tale. It's a powerful, beautiful story with a sensational film debut from Oldzhas Nusupbayev. Throughout the film I kept wondering "where did they FIND this kid?" - and I was startled to learn he had never before acted, had no family and was actually growing up in an orphanage and discovered there. His performance is the lynchpin on which the entire film is hinged. Writer/Director Guka Omarova's location scenes are visually strong, conveying a sort of resigned hopelessness and presenting a post-Soviet Kahzikstan landscape that feels like a world that had been stripmined for all its worth and then merely abandoned. Equally as impressive as this landscape are the wildly diverse and unforgettable faces of the multi-ethnic populations of this country. Olga Landina plays the love interest and she is like a young, vibrant, Eastern bloc Rebecca Demornay. Hot. Schizo is a real find!

The title refers to young Mustafa (Oldzhas Nusupbayev), who is believed to be schizophrenic by everyone. In reality, he is just different. Still, no one believes that he could ever go on to do greater things. But Mustafa has some surprises in store for them.

"Shiza" (called "Schizo" in English) is a truly heartwarming flick from Kazakhstan. In a way, I could sort of relate to Mustafa: assumed to be weird by everyone. This may be the only Kazakh movie that I've ever seen, but it certainly is great. Aside from the plot, the scenery is beyond impressive. This is truly one movie that makes you want more. I certainly hope that the people behind this movie produce more movies.