Video Review: 'Schizopolis'

''Warning: All attempts at synopsizing the film have ended in failure and hospitalization,'' says the box, and even after seeing it twice I'm reluctant to try. Directed by Soderbergh, it's half genius, half junk, much of it devoted to Stoppardian language games: Characters often describe, rather than speak, dialogue (''Imminent departure; return is discussed''; ''Acknowledged''), with some lines dubbed in French, Italian, and Japanese, sans subtitles. Pretentious and sometimes painfully unfunny, it's also so relentlessly audacious you can't help but warm to it. When it works, it's the best film of the year. When it doesn't, take cover. 1/2 A / 1/2 F