Zelig (1983)

Humoristic dissection of the human mind

Woody Allen stands, by far, as my favorite director of all times. I have seen all his movies, since I was a kid. Of course, there are the big ones, the masterpieces, but I find a great pleasure in some of his -for the mainstream- less known plays, such as Zelig.
This not comedy, this is pure genius in the understanding of human nature. It is Allen's essay of the desperate need of people to fit into society, to be accepted, to belong. This is the kind of movie that separate Allen for the ordinary and make him of the greatest genius of cinema.
Psychology in cinematic therms, I always consider Zelig as the ultimate dissection of the social distress: how an person needings to be part of something drive him to the point of eliminate his own individuality.
The movie's approach as a fake documentary is also one of the biggest achievements of Allen, a brilliant portrait of humanity. June 15, 2008

SHOWING ONE'S TRUE COLORS

Uproariously funny spoof of one Leonard Zelig, a totally ubiquitous sort,who effortlessly turns into types with whom he is associating. Filmed in 1930's newsreel style, with appropriate background music, and third party narration, it's Allen at his best, treading waters that anyone else would fear for slander. As psychiatrists attempt to diagnose his condition, Zelig is busy annnoying a Pope, coming between 2 presidents, changing nationalities, changing races,and stupifying the entire planet. It's a film for those who are still able to laugh at themselves and the human condition, at least for 90 minutes. This reviewer is surprised by the relative paucity of reviews, but not the qualityof the film thereof. Lighten up and enjoy! March 26, 2008

The Only Woody Allen Movie I Like

This was the original Forrest Gump -- The technique of superimposing the character into historical settings. Perhaps because the movie was filmed in B&W, the special effects have held up even after all these years. I saw this movie in the theaters when it first came out when I was a teenager. It was the first time, and only time, I ever thought Woody Allen made a good movie. It is about a man who has no self-esteem and overcomes this by turning into the same people as those around him. When he is with doctors, he becomes a doctor; when he is with Chinese peope, he becomes Chinese; when he is at a Greek restaurant, he becomes Greek. Naturally, he joins the Nazi Party for a time. The movie is about his struggle to become his own person, and the plot and message are timeless. March 8, 2008

What's in a name?

Trying to figure out a header for this review epitomizes the problems that I have with this very middling Woody Allen film. Readers of this space know that I have done many reviews of Allen's films, as actor, director or both but this one annoys me no end. In short, not all Woody Allen movies are created equal. The premise behind this one is potentially interesting, perhaps more so today than when the film was originally produced- a send up of our celebrity-crazed society.

With Allen playing the role of a human chameleon in the Jazz Age there certainly were possibilities for a funny look at how the geeks look at a fellow geek but it falls flat. Why? I believe that here Allen just went back and found every sight gag and cliché that he had already used in many previous films- the bow (or finger) to Freud, Marx, the New York intelligentsia (here Irving Howe and Susan Sontag), Jewish childhoods, fascination with gentile women (here Mia Farrow, as an chain smoking experimental psychiatrist) and so forth.

If this list sounds familiar to Allen fans then you have the sense of my feelings on this film. Woody flat ran out of steam on this one. Fortunately there is plenty of other work by Allen to pick from. Do so.
February 14, 2008

one of the original mocumentaries?

The star of this film is actually the editing and special effects, which almost flawlessly capture the feel of ragtime movies. This is very much a "period piece" or at least a darn good imitation of one, and will quite likely appeal to cinemaphiles. Then again, I can see people **appreciating** it while not actually **liking** it. Likewise, I can also see people getting tired of it, as there's a good potential for the novelty to wear off/wear out its welcome. It almost did for me, but the movie ended just about the time I was reaching my threshhold. Others might not be as forgiving.

There are quite a few chuckles throughout, though this is more of a "character study" than a "plot"-oriented film. Then again, one could say that about most of Allen's films.

Not for everyone, but certainly worth watching once. December 25, 2007

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