Zelig

I am slowly developing a deep love for Woody Allen's films.  I may assure you that this will cause my bias on my part.  However, when I heard that Zelig has Allen conversing with people in news reels from the twenties I just had to see it.  And I loved the concept of a mockumentary

Mirrors Society...........................5/5
Moral..........................................4/5
Plot and Script.............................5/5
Director.......................................5/5
Casting and Characters................4/5
Costume and Design....................5/5
Cinematography...........................4/5
Good Use of Special Effects.........5/5
Musical Score..............................5/5
Editing..........................................4/5
Total ..........................................45/50
 45/50=90%
 An Outrageously Awesome Film


Mirrors Society
There was one line that one of the interviewed individuals said that sums up my entire opinion for this category.  And I loosely quote, "He was liked, then he was hated, and then we liked him again.  Has America really changed?"  Yep, that says it all. 5/5

Moral
The moral here was very simple and straightforward.  You have to be yourself and have your own opinions.  However, there were some things that I thing detracted from this.  4/5

Plot and Script
The plot was a clean paved road just needing to be driven.  This film is serious, funny, romantic (in a way) and just outright outrageous.  5/5

Director
Well, don't ask me why, but I feel that I really connect with Allen in his movies.  I understand what he is trying to tell me.  That may not be the case for you.  To direct and star in a film can be a tedious task.  You have to give him a lot of creative credit. After all he did write, direct and star in the film.  5/5

Casting and Characters
The characters in this film have quite distinct (and indistinct one might say) personalities.  I bet Allen was singing "Act Naturally" in his head while filming this.  I feel that if Allen wasn't staring in this, I wouldn't cast Mia Farrow in her role.  However, considering that Allen was the star, casting her makes Zelig's relationship with Dr. Fletcher all the more realistic.  4/5

Costume and Design
The styles of the twenties and thirties are so real in this film you actually find it hard to believe that any of this actually was recorded in the eighties.  The mixture of color and black and white and much to its reality.  It really watches like an actually documentary that isn't one at all. 5/5

Cinematography
Gordon Willis of The Godfather fame is quite sufficient in this film as well.  Using rough film stock throughout the film provides an authentic documentary feel.  Later, the scratching of the Black and white sequences make the news reels all the more authentic.  4/5

Good Use of Special Effects
This film relies on special effects to make Woody Allen the celebrity of the twenties and thirties.  They could have green screened the whole film if they really wanted to but actually filming the sequences and making them look and feel old fulfills the job to an extent I didn't believe could be attainable. 5/5

Musical Score
The combination of actual period pieces and original compositions made to sound like period pieces is superb.  Let's do the Chameleon... 5/5

Editing
This film flows very well.  The only thing I must complain about is that there is one part where the action goes so quickly you just get lost for a moment but then it sinks in and your set.  4/5

Overall
I find this film very creative with its mockumentary style and news reel imaging.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you view it.
Rotten Tomatoes gives this film a 100% fresh score
IMDb gives it a 7.7 score