Zelig
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Movie Reviews of Zelig
Movie Review: I've always loved this little gem of a film
Summary: 4 Stars
Some critics said it was too long, and the joke ran thin. To me that describes Forrest Gump. Some critics thought it was a no-concept movie. To me that describes Forrest Gump. To me this is Woody as a virtuoso filmmaker, though not the sort that Tarentino is pegged. The film makes a very true point about fame, about nostalgia, and most of all about conformity in a world that's always proud to show off its nonconformity (note the opening montage about how this was "the jazz age") but which is at bottom hopelessly conformist. Forrest Gump, with its aw-shucks philosophy and cliche-embedded script, didn't dare tackle such issues. But this movie does. But if you don't GET them, as many critics didn't judging from the reviews, this film will to you seem too long. My biggest complaint is that maybe it's actually too short. I would have liked to see some of its themes explored more--admittedly tricky in the narrow confines Allen imposed on himself with his documentary structure.
Here Allen runs the range of tricks to film, but they're not computer tricks (exactly). To age his film he actually scuffs it. To achieve the sound of tinny 1920s sound he records his pop songs (wonderful parodies of the real music of the time) on authentic 1920s equipment. Most of all, in sort of a post-modernist irony that is currently so hip but was fresh in 1983, he features interviews with trendy intellectuals who both reinforce and parody their academic personas by appearing on camera. Admittedly some of the jokes try too hard to be clever and fall flat, but there are also some very clever bits, such as a sequence showing the rabid commercialization of Zelig ("Lenoard Zelig-approved chameleons for sale").
Unlike Spinal Tap, which was sometimes a little too broad in its humor (much as I love that movie) and unlike Bob Roberts, which gave us "offscreen" conversations we could plainly hear (from people who wouldn't be body-miked in real life) just to extend the narrative, this movie to me strikes the perfect of rabid satire and just-bare plausibility. I also find interesting some parallels to Woody's real life. For despite appearing indifferent to critical acclaim, despite snubbing the Academy to toot his clarinet during Oscar night, Woody is at bottom a filmmaker who very much wants to be accepted, loved, even revered. Despite being self-depricating and self-critical, he clearly has an ego the size of the Chrysler building. And at the time this film was made, it seemed he had just settled in, after swinging among several girlfriends, to the love of his life, Mia Farrow. Though that wouldn't last, I have to wonder how much the last scene in this film reflects his feelings towards Farrow at the time.
Unfortunately, Woody's DVDs tend to be skimpy on extras--director's commentary would be nice, or maybe a "how they did it" documentary. But Woody these days is about as socialable as a hermit crab. He's also not making films this good anymore. Pity, because no one else does comedy quite the way he does--or did.
Movie Review: Another Truly Innovative Film from Woody Allen
Summary: 4 Stars
I had seen bits and pieces of Woody Allen's "Zelig" before but I had never seen the whole movie until last night. To be honest, my initial reaction was to wonder if I would be able to maintain interest throughout the whole movie. As it turned out, that was no problem.
"Zelig" tells the story of an individual who developed an unexplainable ability to appear like the people of his surroundings. It is presented in a documentary format and that format is amazingly well done. I'm of the opinion that there was plenty of actual newsreel footage from the 1920's and '30's and there was also plenty of new film made to appear that it was from that era. I was never that certain as to which was which because the cinematography was that well done. The retrospective interviews with present day theorists and aged contemporaries butressed the documentary nature of the film (as did the continuous narration).
As the title character (played by Woody Allen) assumes more and more identities, we come to understand that his efforts to be like others leaves him with no identity of his own. I understood Allen's message to be an expression of his frustration with the negative public reaction to his post-"Annie Hall" movies. He wasn't making the kinds of pictures everyone else was and his uniqueness was being dismissed. I saw him making a statement that banality lacks meaning by satirizing someone who went out of his way to avoid being himself. Maybe Allen had a higher purpose in making "Zelig" but I was comfortable with the message I got out of it.
Movie Review: The importance of just being yourself
Summary: 4 Stars
Leonard Zelig (Woody Allen), the human chameleon, just wanted to be liked. This he does by changing his personality, even his race, into the same as whomever he's with. Set in the 1920s-early 30s, using vintage newsreels and a technical device that allows Allen to become part of the old reels, the story of Zelig unfolds. A psychiatrist (Mia Farrow) tries to cure him of his problem, which she does; they fall in love, but then all kinds of charges, from polygamy to fraud are brought against Zelig. He escapes (disappears) to Germany but returns to America when Farrow tracks him down. Lots of people were disappointed with this and other Allen comedies of this period because they weren't the all-out angst-filled pictures of the 70s. But Zelig is quite an achievement in its own right. There are some funny, typically Allenish lines and bits, and it's a neat little film on an important idea: being yourself.Movie Review: Clever Woody Allen Mockumentary
Summary: 4 Stars
"Zelig" is quite probably the most experimental of all of Woody Allen's movies. It a mockumentary about Leonard Zelig, a man whose features could change to look like whomever he is with at the time. It's a skilled comedy, with some impressive special effects scene (Woody Allen clowning around with Charlie Chaplin and Babe Ruth), along with some interesting stock footage, film parodies, and bizarre musical numbers. While the middle section of the film (focusing on Zelig's therapy) sags a bit, the rest of the film more than makes up for it.Being a Woody Allen film, there are very few frills on this, other than a booklet and a trailer (which shows quite well how unmarketable the movie was - hence the box office failure). The picture and sound are supposed to be rather scratchy, so there is very little that the DVD can do.
Movie Review: one of the original mocumentaries?
Summary: 4 Stars
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.