Zelig | Alice Beardsley, Ralph Bell | Humoristic dissection of the human mind

Zelig | Alice Beardsley, Ralph Bell | The Only Woody Allen Movie I Like

DVDs:

Zelig

	Zelig Alice Beardsley, Ralph Bell MGM (Video & DVD), 2001 average customer review:based on 44 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Mr. Personality? Or Mr. Personality disorder? Find out in Woody Allen's madcap mockumentary about an identity crisis of hilarious proportions! Thematically intricate, technically complex and filled with some of the most astonishing special effects ever, Zelig is "pure magic" (Newsweek)! Nominated* for two OscarsÂ(r), this "work of breathtaking virtuosity" (Playboy) isfurther proof that Allen "is the premier American filmmaker of his day" (The New York Times)! Leonard Zelig (Allen) is a social quick-change artist whose neurotic insecurity forces him to mimicmentally and physicallywhomever he's with. Treated by Dr. Eudora Fletcher (Farrow), Zelig is slowly cured, and in the process goes from side-show freak to national celebrity to Eudoras fiancÃ(c)! But when misdeeds from Zelig's multiple-personality past start to surface (larceny, bigamy and an unauthorized appendectomy), the human chameleon is on the run again, and Eudora must search the world over to find and save the only man who's every man she's ever wanted!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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