Call Me Alvy
2017 · 10m · UK
Directed by Alexei Slater
Genres: comedy, coming-of-age
Tones: absurdist, humorous, whimsical
A Bar Mitzvah-age Jewish boy in London becomes so obsessed with Woody Allen — neurotic monologues, oversized glasses, and all — that his mother takes desperate action to snap him out of it before his big day.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
It's a clever premise, sure, but the film genuinely *likes* Woody Allen in a way that feels almost conservative—there's no real subversion here, just a kid doing a good impression while adults worry. The setup promises chaos and gets something much safer.
Slater's formal command of Allen's visual and narrative language—the fourth-wall breaks, the neurotic cadence, the specific homage to *Annie Hall*'s structure—positions this squarely in a lineage of postmodern coming-of-age comedy, and the restraint in the execution (particularly how the mother's intervention is staged) shows real curatorial taste.
The casting choice of a pre-teen doing those monologues with genuine comedic timing is the whole film—it's the specific performance moment that makes the premise work at all, and watching him nail the Allen mannerisms with actual vulnerability rather than caricature is what elevates this above a one-joke short.
Reviews
A Jewish boy obsessed with Woody Allen
Admirably crafted, preserving the special style of old Jewish humor.
Festivals
- Cerveteri Film Festival 2018, Best Short Film
- Ischia Film Festival 2018, Special Mention
- UK Jewish Film Festival 2017
- Rhode Island International Film Festival 2018
- Manchester International Short Film and Animation Festival 2018