Me and Orson Welles
Review
by Anthony Morris
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Me and Orson Welles
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You wouldn't say that director Richard Linklater's career has gone
off the boil over the last few years, but the low-key run this film –
starring Zac Efron, no less – is getting in this country hints at a
step down from the days when he was mixing up comedies like School of Rock with lauded arthouse romances like Before Sunset. It's an impression that Me and Orson Welles
never quite manages to dispel : it’s fun, it’s pleasant, it’s engaging,
it boasts one powerhouse performance, but it never quite manages to
lodge in the memory the way many of his earlier films did. The year is 1937 and actor Richard Samuels (Efron) scores a bit part in Orson Welles stage production of Julius Caesar. The
usual backstage antics ensue thanks to various nutty actors, and before
long love blooms between Samuels and Welles' assistant Sonja Jones
(Claire Danes). Problem there is, Welles (Christian McKay) doesn't like
anything going on that he's not in complete control of. The pace
is fast, the tone is light, the whole thing feels well-researched (in
part it's a salute to the hard work that goes into putting on a big
performance) and McKay gives an amazing performance as Welles. It
just never really adds up to a great deal, and unless you're A) an
Efron fan (he doesn’t exactly move out of his comfort zone, but he's
got charm to spare), B) a theatre buff, or C) interested in Orson
Welles, it's hard to see why you couldn't wait for DVD here. 3 out
of 5
Me and Orson Welles
Australian release: 29th July,
2010
Official
Site: Me and Orson Welles
Cast: Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay
Director: Richard Linklater
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