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Me and Orson Welles Stars: Zac Efron, Christian McKay, Claire Danes, Ben Chaplin, George Coulouris, Zoe Kazan, Eddie Marsan, James Tupper and Leo Bill Director: Richard Linklater Scriptwriters: Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo, Jr. from the novel by Robert Kaplow Composer: Michael J. McEvoy CinemaNX/Cinetic Media Rating: PG 13 for sex and cigarette smoking Running Length: 115 minutes Zac Efron is nicely making the leap from High School Musical films I, II, and III and going into dramatic roles. The portrayal of a teenager who falls under the spell of a charismatic Orson Welles in 1937, speaks volumes of the first bit of acting fever. Christian McKay, who at times seems to be channeling Welles, portrays the actor/director as a tongue-in-cheek man who believes he can do anything, then expects everyone to follow him. Such men were usually military heroes, but in the theatrical world, they are known as directors. It is 1937, and the story has Zac in high school and accidentally meeting a young writer, Gretta (Zoe Kazan) at a museum. Her appearance throughout the movie is a sort of grounding for Zac’s character who is stricken with the acting bug. Zac goes to the theater where Welles is organizing a modern “Julius Caesar” that rings of the beginning of WWII and is also because the costumes were cheap. Zac stands up to Welles on the street and is hired to be a bit actor, whose role (because he can sing) is enlarged because he can also play the guitar (disguised as a lute). Claire Danes, is Welles secretary, and the “ice princess” there as the other actors ogle her, but she is kind to Zac and there is his downfall---he falls hard for her. In the meantime, the play struggles to curtain time with such obstacles as water in the aging theater, ego battles between actors, no payroll and Welles never really telling the truth if he can help it. Opening night dead ahead and this is the beginning of the Mercury Players that had John Houseman (Eddie Marsan), Joseph Cotton (James Tupper from “Men in Trees”) and Norman Lloyd (Leo Bill) among the actors. If you have never been behind the scenes of live theater, Me and Orson Welles will be an eye-opener. If you have already ridden this roller coaster, it will be business as usual, and as fun. There are light-hearted moments (the band not coming in on time) and serious-actor-stage fright moments before opening night. Whatever it takes to get the production moving is the name of the game and Welles was certainly adept at this as Zac finds out. Me and Orson Welles is a showcase for Christian McKay who plays Welles. With the proper lighting and tilt of the head, he looks like a young Welles, complete with that voice. Seeing him on screen reminded me of my meeting with Welles. It was in a Las Vegas airport many years ago, when Welles was in a wheel chair, pushed by an attendant. At the top of a ramp, the chair slipped from the man’s grasp and the chair---and Welles---proceeded down the ramp to everyone’s horror. He was safely caught, but seemed unaware of what just happened. I was standing so close to the bottom of the ramp that the chair passed over my foot. I should have preserved that shoe for posterity. Me and Orson Welles has stellar moments, such as when Welles comforts George Coulouris (Ben Chaplin), who is stricken with stage fright on opening night. Another time, is when Zac is invited to Claire Danes apartment and though you don’t see it, a slow seduction has begun. The audience can see that the production of “Julius Caesar” is but the beginning of fame for the Mercury Theater, but the players, themselves, are hanging on by their fingernails. Welles is a taskmaster. Throughout, the love of live theater prevails the movie so that you can almost touch and taste it. The acting bug wafts from the screen and you want to be there with them. From such, are actors born. Enjoy. Copyright 2010 Marie Asner
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