Zelig is reminiscent of Take the Money and Run, Woody Allen's 1969 film presented as a documentary. It is the story about a man named Leonard Zelig, a man capable of changing his physical appearance and thus nicknamed the human chameleon. The film features an off-camera narrator and newsreel footage of Zelig, played by Woody Allen. It also uses a lot of special effects that have cleverly interwoven Woody Allen's character into stock footage. The film's best moments are the many reenactments and parodies of historical moments. Woody Allen has cleverly employed a great number of techniques in the film and has created a comedy so ingenious that it is comparable to his earlier films. I wonder what the special effects would look like today with the great advances in technology since 1983.I would not put Zelig amongst my favourite Woody Allen films but it is consistently funny. And rest assured, Mia Farrow does a much better job alongside Woody Allen than she did in A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy. It is easy to get wrapped up in the effects of the film but there is an interesting social commentary presented in the film that gives Zelig another layer.
Next up: Broadway Danny Rose.
My list:
1. Manhattan
2. Annie Hall
3. Love and Death
4. Interiors
5. Sleeper
6. Zelig
7. Stardust Memories
8. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
9. Take the Money and Run
10. Bananas
11. What's Up, Tiger Lily?
12. A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
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