Shiza

The best thing you can do in a brutal environment is outperform bad guys. That's exactly what the main character is doing. There's a slight hint though that he won't take place of his defeated enemies. He has some values in him to prevent that to happen.

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.

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.

If you are sitting at home and thinking: "you know, I would like to see a film dealing with life in present day Kazakhstan. Something with a fairly clean, simple plot, good direction, nice visuals, and a storyline that takes its time", then I would highly recommend this film.

It should be noted that this is a slow film. There is nothing really that happens in the film that is surprising if you are somewhat aware of the living conditions in central asia. I would say that the film's best feature is that is seems to do a pretty good job of giving the viewer an idea of what life is like in rural Kazakhstan.

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.