Me and Orson Welles

 

Me and Orson Welles begins with actor Richard (Zac Effron) seeking out the great Orson Welles for work. Seeing in his Haribo-boy face the perfect foil to reflect his own greatness, Welles throws Richard a small part in his upcoming production of Julius Ceasar. When Richard gets sweet on PR girl Sonya (Claire Danes) however, the jealous Orson threatens to close the curtain on their budding romance and the boy’s acting career. The frenetic pace of the 1930’s New York broadway scene cries out for the crackle of an early Woody Allen script, though this film raises fewer chuckles than may be expected and often fails to capture the magic of the period. Efron is believable as the fish-out-of-water goof with heart and Claire Danes shines as the seductive self-starter Sonya, though it's Christian MacKay’s tour de force portrayal of Welles that steals the show. In capturing the many sides of this complex character, MacKay carries what is otherwise a lacklustre offering from Linklater. [Alastair Roy]