Me and Orson Welles (2008)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers:

Holly Gent Palmo (adaptation)
Holly Gent Palmo (screenplay)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A teenager is cast in the Mercury Theatre production of "Julius Ceasar" directed by a young Orson Welles in 1937. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Ben Chaplin	...	George Coulouris
Claire Danes	...	Sonja Jones
Zac Efron	...	Richard Samuels
Zoe Kazan	...	Gretta Alder
Eddie Marsan	...	John Houseman
Christian McKay	...	Orson Welles
Kelly Reilly	...	Muriel Brassler
James Tupper	...	Joseph Cotten
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Thomas Arnold	...	George Duthie
Leo Bill
Shane James Bordas	...	Elliott Reid
Michael Brandon	...	Les Tremayne
Janie Dee	...	Mrs. Samuels
Alessandro Giuggioli	...	Hiram Sherman
Garrick Hagon	...	Dr. Mewling
Patrick Kennedy	...	Grover Burgess
Lexie Lambert	...	Lizzy
Harry Macqueen	...	John A Willard
Megan Maczko	...	Evelyn Allen
Aidan McArdle
Michael J. McEvoy	...	Epstein
Jo McInnes	...	Jeannie Rosenthal
Iain McKee	...	Vakhtangov
Simon Nehan	...	Joe Holland
Travis Oliver	...	John Hoyt
Rhodri Neil Orders	...	Stefan Schnabel
Nathan Osgood	...	Radio Announcer
Simon Lee Phillips	...	Walter Ash
Imogen Poots
Saskia Reeves	...	Barbara Luddy
Marlene Sidaway	...	Grandmother Samuels
Daniel Tuite	...	William Mowry
Al Weaver	...	Sam Leve
Robert Wilfort	...	Radio Director

Runtime:

114 min | Canada:107 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Filming Locations:

Crystal Palace Park, Penge, London, England, UK

Company:

CinemaNX

Breezy, nostalgic celebration of film and theater and one of the most dynamic figures to impact them

The career of Richard Linklater has proved one of the most delightfully eclectic in the film industry, veering between works as diverse as teenage subculture films (Dazed and Confused) to philosophical romances (Before Sunrise) to drug-addled paranoid thrillers (A Scanner Darkly) to mainstream comedies (School of Rock). But even with such a varied body of work, it is difficult to deny Linklater's latest still seeming somewhat of an anomaly: a lighthearted period piece examining the timeless figure of Orson Welles, making his name through a 1930s theater production of Julius Ceasar still seems an odd about face even for such a versatile director. And yet it is somewhat fitting that such a whimsically talented modern director should examine one of cinema's most legendary mavericks as Linklater's latest, Me and Orson Welles is a charming addition to his body of work, a breezy, self- reflexive yet nostalgic celebration of the mediums of performance as experienced alongside one of the most dynamic and influential figures ever to impact them.

The agile script ably captures the conflicting clashes of the behemoth of a personality that was Orson Welles, from the explosive temper tantrums to the slyly manipulative charm to the casual womanizing, painting a vivid (but likely not larger than life) portrait of the man without either romanticizing or demonising him. It is ultimately the presence of the titular character which rescues the film from becoming yet another "cast rehearsing a play" film, as the dynamo of Welles tearing through the film at all the least expected moments creates a sporadic force of havok keeping the film continually off kilter, preventing it from descending into cliché and keeping it consistently interesting as consequence. While the story's lightness of touch does make some of the plot points either overly obvious or unbelievable, a film so unassumingly enjoyable fails to evoke much complaint - whether dabbling in the dramatic or the comedic, Me and Orson Welles remains refreshingly cheerful and earnest, and all the better for it. Completing the package, Linklater's rare tackling of a period piece demonstrates his typically astute ability to capture the feel and flavour of the times, with the earnest ambition of the 1930s well complimented by subtly stylish sets and costumes while simultaneously avoiding beating the audience over the head with more overt details of the time (instead of the potential hackneyed Nazi allusions, Linklater includes merely a brief radio snippet which is quickly cut off, a classy and subtle inclusion).

Undergoing a difficult transition from teenage heartthrob to dramatic lead, Zac Efron gives a surprisingly solid performance as the idealistic young actor swept into the wild world of Welles, convincingly contributing charm, comedy and genuine sympathy to the emotional centerpoint of the film. However, given the title, it isn't difficult to imagine the inevitable highlight of the show, and true enough, as the infamous Welles, British stage actor Christian McKay doesn't so much steal scenes as seize and throttle them, exploding on screen with the same engrossing bluster that only the real Welles himself could conjure up. Blending the conflicting elements of an indisputably difficult character as easily as he nails the trademark voice and appearance, McKay's Welles alternates between devilish charmer and explosive force to be feared, shaking up the film with similar vigour and nuanced genius - one of the most impressive cinematic debuts in recent memory. Claire Danes is also on top form as a good hearted but endlessly ambitious member of Welles' company, and Ben Chaplin and James Tupper are endearing presences as eccentric members of Welles' calamitous company.

As unconventional a project as it may be, Me and Orson Welles remains one of the most unashamedly lighthearted and enjoyable forays into nostalgia in many a year, breezily blending the serious with the silly while never skimping on historical fact. The addition of McKay's brilliantly combustive Welles make the theatrical rehearsal sequences a joy to behold instead of drearily formulaic, making Linklater's latest film a charm to behold for even the most cynical of audiences.

-8/10