Zelig

source: Zelig

Trailer—Zelig

Zelig

With "Zelig", Woody Allen took a completely different approach to everything. It's a pseudo-documentary - maybe the first one ever - in which he plays Leonard Zelig, a human chameleon in the 1920s: he literally changes his personality and physical appearance to accommodate the people in his surroundings. Mia Farrow plays Dr. Eudora Fletcher, trying to cure him. This has some of the things that we would expect in a Woody Allen movie, namely Leonard's explanation of the kind of class that he teaches. But, he keeps it going. The "Reds"-style interviews really help the movie (there's even one with Susan Sontag), as does the '20s soundtrack. This is one movie that you're sure to like. Too bad that Allen started making movies about neurotic rich New Yorkers later on.

The idea is great and much of the execution wherein we see Allen as Zelig inserted perfectly into old footage. But I would have liked more satire to emerge, a stronger, more biting attack on the world around Zelig that made a chameleon out of him, and perhaps a bit less of the romance with the psychologist.

This could well be a review of 90% of Woody Allen's oeuvre. The film is a smorgasbord of fabulousness - exquisite concepts, very clever lines and very funny ones. No film maker has ever had such a grasp of irony, sarcasm and the ridiculous, and still imbue it with wit and (occasionally) subtlety. But it is the relentless self-deprecation and extant feelings of worthlessness that eventually become wearing after you have watched as many Allen films as I have. This is the film that most impresses you with his confusion over identity however. I could go on about self-analysis for pages but it's unnecessary...just watch any given Woody Allen film. He mellows it out with a rather forlorn sense of romance that becomes endearing rather than pathetic...a skill that is essential to engage with his films. This is a fine film. Oh yeah...and very funny...if you get the references.

Out of all Woody's movies, this is my all-time favourite. Deep and meaningful, a perfect blend of drama and comedy. It was filmed in black-and-white, like Manhattan, but this time in the mockumentary style of Take the Money and Run. Less comedic than that film, though, but just as entertaining. The special effects (blending the actors with documentary stock footage) are simply astounding for their time. It was only 10+ years later that another film (Forrest Gump) managed to pull this thing off with the same success. (Now that I mentioned it, Forrest Gump may have a lot more in common with Zelig... There are clearly parallels not only visually, but thematically, as well.) It is also very concise. Lasting only 70 minutes, there is no unnecessary fat at all. A time very well spent for anyone who loves bittersweet, heart-warming movies.

A fascinating pseudo-documentary with an intriguing premise, the footage shown looks very authentic, edited well together, with apt sets and costumes. A number of original songs written especially for the film are included, and they sound exactly like the type of tunes expected in a 1930s musical. The non-original music choices also suit the project. Woody Allen superbly acts out the interesting character that he has written for himself: a very different type of insecure, neurotic person to what he usually plays. Even at less than eighty minutes, the material nevertheless wears thin by the end, but some great ideas are developed along the way. It also feels a bit odd to watch, as the film is not really a comedy, nor a drama - not fitting into any genre - then again, in general real life are not meant to be straight comedies or dramas, are they? With the limitations of the style that Allen has chosen for the film taken into account, he does a pretty good job.

My Rating : 9/10 To ME this is the FIRST EVER Mockumentary that I enjoyed and something that absolutely worked with my sensibilities! Woody Allen is such a genius fellow, love his art and movies. 'Zelig' is supremely engaging, funny and has that old-world charm about it that makes it a classic. Loved everything about this and thanks Woody for coming through when I was heavily bored with intellectual mumbo-jumbo movies and just needed the right kick in the teeth!

"Zelig" is a very clever movie, the kind you just know Woody Allen is capable of. In this "mockumentary," Woody plays Leonard Zelig, an insecure man who goes to the ultimate length to fit in. Mia Farrow offers the love interest as Dr. Eudora Fletcher. In "Zelig," we get to see Woody spliced into old footage, including the Nazi rally. This came before the effect became used more often, in movies like "Forrest Gump." I see this as a transition in Woody's movies. It comes somewhere between his early funnier movies, like "Bananas" and "Take the Money and Run," and his later, more introspective ones, like "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Husbands and Wives." It makes a statement about individuality, and produces laughs in the process.