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Zelig
Zelig
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Zelig

Zelig

1983
Comedy
1h 19m
"Documentary" about a man who can look and act like whoever he's around, and meets various famous people. (imdb)

Directed by:

Woody Allen

Screenwriter:

Woody Allen

Starring:

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, John Rothman, Deborah Rush, Michael Jeter, John Buckwalter, Patrick Horgan, Marvin Chatinover, Stanley Swerdlow

Genre:

Comedy

Country:

USA

Languages:

English, German
imdb IMDb
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Zelig

1983
Comedy
1h 19m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 66.13% from 2198 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 06 Dec 2008
9
93rd
A hilarious, well crafted, perfect comedy from Woody. The special effects are incredible and it has some of the funniest bits and lines ever. This Is Spinal Tap gets all the credit for the perfection of the mockumentary but Zelig did it before Spinal Tap and it did it better.
Rated 06 Dec 2008
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 08 Apr 2007
92
99th
Strangest of Allen, mocumentary at its finest. Has a strange aura for me. Allen takes on a difficult task of simulating a psychological doppelganger (and playing himself as usual). Usually Allen's movies are plain, modest in the technical side, not this one. Montage is the most powerful side of the movie that it flows(apart from the dialogues and characterization).
Rated 08 Apr 2007
indyatmnINDYATMN
Rated 29 Sep 2008
90
89th
Predating Forrest Gump's "groundbreaking" and lavishly praised efx by a good decade, this is everything Forrest Gump was not: brief, witty, clever, with a wonderful subtext on our social need to fit in. The alternative to the Gump sapfest: like Gump this movie seems to have been borne out of an efx idea but this one has a brain and --- no made-for-tv-movie-level pandering.
Rated 29 Sep 2008
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 13 Jun 2012
2
21st
My enthusiasm for this film comes crashing down when it becomes apparent what a one trick pony these gags are, and that there exists a streak of racism in which Allen dons various ethnic disguises, and how thin its insights are about social masquerades. Even at a mere 79 minutes, it feels like this wouldn't wear out its welcome so quickly if it were cut in half.
Rated 13 Jun 2012
joojooJooJoo
Rated 14 Aug 2009
5
81st
Absurdly clever. One of the most honest-to-god creative items you can find in film. Seems one-note but becomes something much more, while hitting the usual Woody Allen funny notes in an unusual fashion. Could have done without the romantic element, though.
Rated 14 Aug 2009
frederFreder
Rated 04 Aug 2007
92
89th
One of Woody's absolute best, an utterly unpretentious and convincing mockumentary that's part romantic comedy and part Kafka. Also proof positive that old optical effects do a better and more convincing job of manipulating reality than computers.
Rated 04 Aug 2007
caimancaiman
Rated 21 Dec 2011
87
85th
Definitely one of Allen's most unique films. Here he takes a supremely novel idea, infuses it with his funny trademark comedy ("He wanted to charge me $600 for Hebrew lessons"), and puts it in an ingenious mockumentary. The placement of Zelig into 1920s photographs, film reels and news articles is stunningly convincing. I can tell Allen put a lot of time and effort into this, as the whole thing is infused with so much rich detail. It's no wonder he considers this one of his best films.
Rated 21 Dec 2011
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 10 Dec 2010
82
46th
eatbeanseatbeans
Rated 30 Sep 2022
2
12th
Hate woody allen movies.
Rated 30 Sep 2022
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 17 Feb 2020
8
78th
Great mockumentary, oozing with immediate rewatch value. Woody Allen should start making Woody Allen movies again.
Rated 17 Feb 2020
akjnakjn
Rated 13 May 2013
80
82nd
1920 yillarda gecen, bulundugu ortamda bulunan kesime/kisiye hem psikolojik hem de fiziki olarak asimile olan bir adamin hikayesi. insanin sevilme, guvende olma ihtiyaclari icin farkliliklarini, kisiligini goz ardi ederek cogunluga uymasi
Rated 13 May 2013
drstrangeluvdrstrangeluv
Rated 13 Jan 2011
85
86th
The best and funniest outright comedy I have seen from Woody Allen. It goes way over the top, featuring a finale that involves an absurd escape from the Nazis in Germany. And it all works. The film is impressive on a technical level too, using no digital techniques to creates the faux-documentary footage of Zelig and his many personae. A unique study of identity and how throughout our lives we frequently mold ourselves into the acceptance of others.
Rated 13 Jan 2011
rufamRufam
Rated 22 Dec 2010
70
57th
"Zelig" is one of Woody Allen's most original and fascinating films -albeit one that overstays its welcome way too early. The premise is cunning and the documentary style is ingeniously parodied -I was particularly impressed by the state-of-the-art, black-and-white cinematography. The script is typically witty, but the story appears to drag in order to fit into these 75 minutes and what seems to be a perfect idea for a short film, loses some of its appeal when stretched to feature length.
Rated 22 Dec 2010
nandorizzinandorizzi
Rated 14 Jan 2010
85
88th
A great and clever, funny cinematographic joke by Woody Allen, in a way that only he could have done. Genius.
Rated 14 Jan 2010
timoatimoA
Rated 24 Dec 2009
95
97th
Brilliant, funny and touching. It's my favourite Woody Allen film, although most probably would probably disagree.
Rated 24 Dec 2009
tatianasctatianasc
Rated 05 Jan 2009
30
5th
I have to admit. I only saw 30 minutes of the film and got bored. I thought it a great idea, but the jokes are not funny in my opinion (at least in these 30 minutes). I will probably try another day.
Rated 05 Jan 2009
fabfunkfabfunk
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
82nd
Really funny, insightful fake doc about the nature of identity.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
stainStain
Rated 01 Apr 2007
100
95th
Yet another brilliant comedy from Woody, this time with a lot of fantasy and historical fun
Rated 01 Apr 2007
karbonaichKarbonaich
Rated 17 May 2021
75
41st
w/ Gamze
Rated 17 May 2021
shalevshalev
Rated 13 Aug 2020
81
56th
First ever mokumentary?
Rated 13 Aug 2020
goookcegoookce
Rated 04 Aug 2019
85
84th
"Erkek kardeşim beni dövüyor; kız kardeşim erkek kardeşimi dövüyor; babam, kız kardeşimi, erkek kardeşimi ve beni dövüyor; annem babamı, kız kardeşimi, beni ve erkek kardeşimi dövüyor; komşular ailemizi dövüyor; aşağı bloktan insanlar komşularımızı ve ailemizi dövüyor."
Rated 04 Aug 2019
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 08 Jun 2019
80
81st
Leonard Zelig: "I'm 12 years old. I run into a Synagogue. I ask the Rabbi the meaning of life. He tells me the meaning of life... But, he tells it to me in Hebrew. I don't understand Hebrew. Then he wants to charge me six hundred dollars for Hebrew lessons."
Rated 08 Jun 2019
gnalkhereGnalkhere
Rated 22 May 2019
65
32nd
Someday i'll be as ambitious with my cinematography. Should've been in 1.33:1 tho
Rated 22 May 2019
director26director26
Rated 07 Nov 2018
82
63rd
Ahh Woody, yine çok beğendim. Film içinde barındırdığı her içeriğe eleştiride bulunabiliyor ve bunu izleyiciye keyif veren bir biçimde yapıyor.İnsanlara kendini sevdirmek için onlara uyum sağlama hastalığına sahip Zelig'in hikayesini kesinlikle izlemelisiniz. 8.2/10
Rated 07 Nov 2018
neonmanNeonman
Rated 21 May 2017
67
29th
Impressive film, for sure, and the psychology of the concept is something most people can relate to and is amusingly brought to life through Zelig's chameleon-like manners. But I think a whole lot of comedy had to be sacrificed to make this sort of film work. The joke ratio is far lower than other Allen comedies, and given any drama or romance aspects aren't greatly built upon, it kept me rather disengaged throughout.
Rated 21 May 2017
thewizard_iitheWizard
Rated 23 Apr 2017
7
65th
woody just doesn't really do it for me. this one is one of the better ones though
Rated 23 Apr 2017
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 31 Mar 2017
60
36th
The idea is excellent but the execution didn't do it for me. I don't mind the mockumentary but I just couldn't get into the movie and got few laughs.
Rated 31 Mar 2017
kito1kito1
Rated 07 Feb 2017
30
1st
The fake documentary was made with extreme effort. But it's overall very nonsensical and boring.
Rated 07 Feb 2017
kmilchev1Kmilchev1
Rated 31 May 2016
80
82nd
A brilliant mockumentary by Allen. It deals with many political and cultural issues. For example Zelig joins the catholic church, the Nazi party through his desire of conformity and his weak character. The film is also consistently funny and with its dazzling plot surely takes a memorable spot in Allen's impressive resume.
Rated 31 May 2016
chemical404chemical404
Rated 01 Aug 2015
72
87th
You know how every Woody Allen is sort of the same? Well this is different Woody. It's a mockumentary about the man suffering from lack of personality. It reminded me a lot of Oliver Sacks books about neurological patients - there are pathologies that work very similarly. It took time for me to get into the movie, but once I did I liked it a lot. Worth seeing.
Rated 01 Aug 2015
dmcrimsonDMCrimson
Rated 26 Oct 2014
79
52nd
Funny at first, but the premise wears down and wanders into uninteresting territory
Rated 26 Oct 2014
billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 22 Oct 2014
75
65th
It's such a wonderful concept it's just that I like the idea of it more then actually experiencing it like a bottomless sundae
Rated 22 Oct 2014
ocelotOcelot
Rated 09 Oct 2014
80
89th
A film with a premise so comedically brilliant that its focus on self-identity feels like a disappointment, despite how well done the material is. It's also incredibly high concept for Woody Allen, and so exciting that it makes one tired of his "put a camera in a room and see what happens" films of late. I'd watch the hell out of The Changing Man.
Rated 09 Oct 2014
xacviantxacviant
Rated 16 Sep 2014
80
50th
The "true" story of a human chameleon (Allen) who can change his character, voice, and even race to match those around him, and the psychiatrist (Mia Farrow) who tries to cure him while falling in love with him. Certainly ingenious in its creation of faux-vintage footage, its insertion of the protagonist into old films and pictures, and in Dick Hyman's spot-on parodies of period songs, but as an actual comedy, it's a little thin, marred by the necessity of keeping Zelig himself at arm's length.
Rated 16 Sep 2014
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 27 Jul 2014
87
75th
There are a lot of good fake documentaries out there, but "Zelig" is the best. The central idea of the film is both A) funny and B) a great metaphor for modern man, and Allen takes full advantage of both.
Rated 27 Jul 2014
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 02 Jun 2014
86
79th
Brilliant, but I do wonder about it's re-watch value. The style of film-editing was well ahead of its time, paving the way for other mockumentaries and the special FX in Forrest Gump. Clever writing and social commentary.
Rated 02 Jun 2014
glm01glm01
Rated 22 Oct 2013
89
97th
88.500
Rated 22 Oct 2013
rialteRialte
Rated 14 Oct 2013
74
50th
Woody on his element...funny mockumentary, a bit of message and lots of fun
Rated 14 Oct 2013
amadeusAmadeus
Rated 19 Sep 2013
73
71st
Perfect mockumentary but unfortunately Allen is wrong choice for the lead. He's so annoying like Harold Lloyd, after a dozen of his movies.
Rated 19 Sep 2013
caocaocaocao
Rated 15 Jun 2013
73
76th
More wildly creative and inventive than entertaining. Way ahead of it's time.
Rated 15 Jun 2013
nepetaNepeta
Rated 21 May 2013
70
44th
It wasn't amazingly funny (though I did find myself smiling throughout), but was instead surprisingly dramatically and thematically engaging (indeed there is a piece of Zelig, the character, in almost all of us - probably part of the reason why he's so fascinating). From a technical standpoint it is stunning, with the film's style of being told via 1920's style footage being utterly charming.
Rated 21 May 2013
st_bernaSt. Berna
Rated 14 Mar 2013
85
83rd
Woody Allen ile ilgili antipatim ve onyargim, filmografisinde ilerledikce degisiyor biraz biraz. cok ozenli cekilmis, ozgun/orijinal bile sayilabilecek, gayet basarili buldugum bir film oldu benim icin.
Rated 14 Mar 2013
taumpytearstaumpytears
Rated 03 Feb 2013
96
85th
"I never delivered a baby before in my life, and I just thought that ice tongs was the way to do it."
Rated 03 Feb 2013
von_kroghvon krogh
Rated 10 Jan 2013
77
75th
Me: "There's this Woody Allen movie about a guy who changes his whole personality to adapt to whoever he's talking to." Friend: "Isn't that what everyone does?"
Rated 10 Jan 2013
grouchyGrouchy
Rated 27 Dec 2012
94
94th
Just a perfect film.
Rated 27 Dec 2012
friendo55friendo55
Rated 09 Nov 2012
87
74th
What a fun fake-documentary this was! I had zero expectations going into this other than I was in the mood for a Woody film I hadn't seen before. The gags all worked, Woody appearing in various photos & videos all looked authentic and believable, and the structure of telling a tale from the 20s and 30s was great. Everything just worked, and worked at a brisk 80 minutes!
Rated 09 Nov 2012
baggerBagger
Rated 22 Sep 2012
75
63rd
I probably like this because it feels like a well-oiled sequel to Take the Money and run. It may be a forgettable affair for all but Lacanian analysts, but it keeps you chuckling (and me laughing out loud a few times) for all of its running time, which is perfectly tuned to never outstay its welcome.
Rated 22 Sep 2012
bolivarbolivar
Rated 20 Aug 2012
75
75th
a very much bizarre woody allen treat. enjoyable, but while the documentary form is interesting, it doesnt manage to squeeze the most out of this fascinating story.
Rated 20 Aug 2012
spaceflohspacefloh
Rated 24 Jun 2012
60
58th
eng; [Zelig - OmU]; eine sogenannte dokumentargeschichte über einen mann der sich anderen leuten so stark anpasst bis er sie ersetzen könnte.;
Rated 24 Jun 2012
spleenspleen
Rated 14 Jun 2012
87
88th
Although not a Woody Allen fan, I have to admit he is always brilliantly inventive. And that's the strength of "Zelig". Not the story, which starts to wear thin after a half hour, but the originality of the idea.
Rated 14 Jun 2012
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 23 May 2012
87
90th
Allen creates one of the first mockumentaries, packing it with some great jokes and interesting social commentary. The quality of the optical effects used to insert Allen into older footage is amazing.
Rated 23 May 2012
glmglm
Rated 22 May 2012
89
89th
89.000
Rated 22 May 2012
kasperlKasperL
Rated 18 May 2012
55
39th
Very well-made but not exactly thrilling.
Rated 18 May 2012
axleblazeaxleblaze
Rated 13 Mar 2012
93
88th
One of the best silly Allen films. Probably only outdone by Sleeper.
Rated 13 Mar 2012
grapeGrape
Rated 27 Feb 2012
80
70th
27 febrer 2012 - És interessant com duu una idea tan esbojarrada i original a la pantalla. Potser estic acostumat al seu estil, potser ha envellit o potser no tinc el dia però no m'ha arribat a fascinar com el plantejament de la pel·lícula prometia. El format documental la fa massa assèptica, trobo a faltar diàlegs.
Rated 27 Feb 2012
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 05 Feb 2012
84
65th
A pseudo documentary about a human chameleon and his psychologist who wants to help him be himself. So clever, very well done and an interesting metaphor for relationships.
Rated 05 Feb 2012
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 08 Dec 2011
90
84th
Imaginative and charming, though more than a few of the jokes probably went over my head. Coincidentally, Allen does some of his best acting.
Rated 08 Dec 2011
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
62
24th
#766
Rated 02 Dec 2011
bojanglesBojangles
Rated 22 Nov 2011
75
85th
An effective mixture of rapid fire jokes and benign moralizing.
Rated 22 Nov 2011
roofsrunnerroofs_runner
Rated 10 Nov 2011
85
73rd
Outstanding piece of film making. Zelig is both a hilarious comedy and entertaining "documentary".
Rated 10 Nov 2011
fragolafragola
Rated 13 Jul 2011
81
11th
Partial to Allen movies..
Rated 13 Jul 2011
mrcarmadyMrCarmady
Rated 08 Jun 2011
80
36th
Good premise, but Allen has made better films.
Rated 08 Jun 2011
seanberndorffSeanBerndorff
Rated 02 Dec 2010
83
81st
Fun spoof on the documentary genre. This is really Allen in his most playful corner. Really liked the out-of-nowhere supernatural elements - like when he starts walking on the wall because he's not feeling well.
Rated 02 Dec 2010
frankhowleyFrankHowley
Rated 21 Nov 2010
30
3rd
This movie would work great as a vignette, but the story isn't great or funny enough to be a full length movie. The novelty of it all wears off fast, after that it's pretty lame.
Rated 21 Nov 2010
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 06 Oct 2010
85
93rd
The idea of the film is fantastic and incredibly genious. Technically it's very well made and has lots of hilarious moments. An early mockumentary which has influenced many films of its genre.
Rated 06 Oct 2010
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 21 Sep 2010
100
96th
Amazing. As far as Woody Allen's all-out comedies, this is BY FAR my favourite. He made some of those stupid comedies in the 60s and early 70s that I really hate. They relied on sight gags and hammy one-joke scenes. Just not that funny to me. You can kind of see hints of his earliest work in Zelig though, only this time done properly. What he gets right here is that nobody's telling jokes. This is a serious as hell, even boring documentary in their world, which makes it work.
Rated 21 Sep 2010
bluebobsbluebobs
Rated 11 Aug 2010
78
76th
I haven't yet seen a Woody Allen film I didn't liked.
Rated 11 Aug 2010
masloprojektmasloprojekt
Rated 10 Apr 2010
76
55th
Nie jest to mój ulubiony, ale zdecydowanie podobał mi się, jak zwykle dialogi niezapomniane...
Rated 10 Apr 2010
jeffvjeff_v
Rated 21 Feb 2010
63
31st
From a technical standpoint, it's outstanding. The doc is flawlessly constructed and the re-enactments and insertions of Woody Allen into archival footage is seamless. This really does look like the type of thing you'd come across on tv, except for the jokes of course. Other than that, it doesn't have much going on. Like the titular protagonist, it seems to be catch-all for whatever symbolic interpretation you want to throw at it, but in the end, the more you look at it, the less there is.
Rated 21 Feb 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 15 Jan 2010
64
28th
711
Rated 15 Jan 2010
zeytounzeytoun
Rated 07 Jan 2010
75
79th
the original Mockumentary. Hilarious.
Rated 07 Jan 2010
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 07 Dec 2009
76
88th
Good Movie
Rated 07 Dec 2009
jacoiiiJacoIII
Rated 24 Sep 2009
35
32nd
Wasn't bad but I enjoyed the message behind the film more than the actual movie. Has elements of Allen's earlier manic, physical comedies, which is nice. As a period piece/mockumentary it manages to capture all the main elements it wishes to skew but the film is hampered by lackluster voice-over. Key to the success of "Spinal Tap" is that the comedy feels organic, nobody "tells" jokes; they spring naturally from the characters. Zelig's voice-over tries to stuff jokes into awkward places.
Rated 24 Sep 2009
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 13 Sep 2009
81
78th
a great mockumentary that plunges too far into the genre to be amazing. otherwise it provides it's self some great comedy and an interesting story.
Rated 13 Sep 2009
darkmandarkman
Rated 27 Aug 2009
86
96th
Clever and technically well done.
Rated 27 Aug 2009
opaque_squidopaque squid
Rated 19 Jul 2009
87
52nd
Amazing.
Rated 19 Jul 2009
empiremagempiremag
Rated 02 May 2009
4
71st
"Truly one of Woody funniest films, despite its high concept formula it is movingly realised."
Rated 02 May 2009
abunchofcatsABUNCHOFCATS
Rated 28 Apr 2009
87
75th
Hilarious and somewhat thought-provoking at the same time.
Rated 28 Apr 2009
lphovercraftLPhovercraft
Rated 15 Mar 2009
100
93rd
The laughs come fast and furious.
Rated 15 Mar 2009
eggbeatereggbeater
Rated 12 Mar 2009
67
61st
A supremely well-executed joke, more clever than funny; it might have worked even better in a shorter format. Gordon Willis's cinematography and Dick Hyman's music are standouts.
Rated 12 Mar 2009
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
68
36th
647
Rated 19 Dec 2008
parcalihamparcaliham
Rated 09 Dec 2008
95
95th
10 Aralik 08 & 00:51am. & http://sineofrenik.blogspot.com/2008/12/zelig-1983.html
Rated 09 Dec 2008
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 30 Nov 2008
3
38th
An outstanding premise that delivers some big laughs early on, but eventually I think the gimmick wears down a bit - you can only see Zelig in different getups so many times before it stops being funny. However, the film never drops below amusing, and it's still very entertaining to see Zelig in all the historical situations - I can't think of a more absurd payoff than what occurs towards the very end.
Rated 30 Nov 2008
amadeamade
Rated 27 Jul 2008
98
92nd
So good it's almost unwatchable - the bit with the cello in the marching band was the ultimate loser's statement.
Rated 27 Jul 2008
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 10 Jul 2008
84
77th
Original and quite amusing. The concept carries the film thanks to its sheer creativity and the deadpan narration that makes the jokes work really well.
Rated 10 Jul 2008
dean_franzDean Franz
Rated 21 Jun 2008
40
37th
Lacklustre Allen comedy. Looks great but lacks a certain something.
Rated 21 Jun 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
61
37th
# 784
Rated 02 Mar 2008
svicciarellisvicciarelli
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
82nd
Brilliant little piece of work - loads of fun to watch.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
boobjuiceBoobjuice
Rated 21 Jul 2007
80
80th
An unusual concept that makes for an amusing Woody Allen feature.
Rated 21 Jul 2007

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