*Movie Mondays*

Who says Mondays have to suck? 

Each Monday I will recommend and review a film, old or new, that is a must-see in my book!
As a film student I have had many years of film history and film appreciation classes, along with my own personal interest in the industry.

I encourage you to view films out of your genre of interest since so many films have a unique message to present, along with an artistic aesthetic which has become an integral aspect within our society and through our own escapism.

Film is a very important part of my life, so I hope you enjoy my weekly selections of recent and classic favorites.

This Week: 

Woody Allen's "Zelig" (1983)

"Zelig" starring Woody Allen and Mia Farrow is a masterpiece of mockumentary style.  It is the story of Leonard Zelig (played by Woody Allen), a strange man with a "chameleon" disorder that allows him to change his physical appearance to resemble anyone in whose company he finds himself. Mia Farrow plays Dr. Fletcher, a psychiatrist whose interest in Leonard's rare condition is sparked, along with a love for him. 

It takes place in the 1920s which allows the film to call upon so much history. This historical aspect of the film is what makes it so innovative for the time. The film was shot entirely in black and white to portray the similar style of the time. The shots were placed into actual footage, a breakthrough in visual effects for the 80s. This technique demanded a lot in order to appear realistic and be able to be conveyed as such. The process took two full years, partially because of Allen's insistance that the film be aged long enough to better portray the look of old film. He also used a manual process of further aging the film by overexposing, scratching, and crumpling it to add to the grainy appearance of the original footage. This created a seamless style that was integrated so flawlessly, some viewers questioned the validity of the idea of Leonard. The film went on to be nominated for best Costume Design and Best Cinematography, since at the time a Special Effects category did not yet exist. Some type of honor had to be given to the film for it's technical achievement and significance in history.

I recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed Allen's most recent film success "Midnight In Paris," which employed the same idea of converging historical references in a similarly outstanding manner. 

Both films truly take on a life of their own and enhance imagination further than most time period films of the same genre.