For this week’s session (as part of Todd Mason‘s weekly ‘Overlooked’ Films series), I have chosen Richard Linklater’s Me and Orson Welles from 2008/9.
The film stars Zac Efron, Claire Danes and Christian McKay as Orson Welles.
The year is 1937 when 17-year Richard Samuels (Efron) and theater wunderkind Orson Welles (McKay) meet via a chance encounter in front of the Mercury Theater with Welles; Welles is in the process of producing Shakespeare’s Julius Cesar. As a result of the encounter, Welles offers the overly eager Richard a role in the play. The film then chronicles the progress of the production; at the same time we are privy to a coming of age story – courtesy of the backstory involving Samuel and aspiring actress Sonja Jones (Danes).
Whenever an actor is portraying a historical figure, especially one who is of such a stature as Orson Welles, it is easy to make immediate comparisons to that person. As Welles, McKay’s portrayal occasionally falls into the category of “very good impression,” but it was fun to watch him take on the Hollywood legend’s bombastic nature and swagger. In a supporting role, Claire Danes does a fine job as the ‘girl who got away.’
To date, I have basically dismissed Zac Efron as just another teenybopper pretty boy. While I will need to see more in his body of work; here in Me and Orson Welles he delivers but never fully captures the spirit of (what’s in my head for the character) the doe-eyed fish out of water to the world of theater. Maybe his turn in Lee Daniels’ upcoming The Paperboy will prove or disprove my theory.
This film is another solid mark on Richard Linklater’s already varied and diverse CV, which includes a couple of my favorite films in recent memory, including School of Rock and the double-bill of Before Sunset/Before Sunrise.
I would not elevate Me and Orson Welles to that status, but it is a film watching to make up your mind about.
Scott Lawlor says
January 17, 2012 at 6:55 amI am so glad that you liked Efron in this. He is such a nice guy and a great little actor. OK he came from the Disney stable, but that isn’t a bad thing is it? Think Gosling….
Thanks for this write up matey
iluvcinema says
January 17, 2012 at 5:48 pmCheers Scott. The Disney label is definitely a hill to climb when you want to be taken seriously. One person who had the opportunity to lose the Disney label and be taken seriously (Lindsay Lohan) threw it all away. Sad story.
Patti Abbott says
January 17, 2012 at 8:10 amI really liked this film. What a great performance from the lead.
iluvcinema says
January 17, 2012 at 5:44 pmI just got around to seeing this film. Wanted to see it once it came out but was not sure that it got widespread distro in the US.
Thanks Patti!
Yvette says
January 17, 2012 at 12:44 pmI enjoyed this film as well. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
Part of this film’s charm is the wonderful stable of character actors backing up the leads.
I loved the scenes showing the production part of the play.
iluvcinema says
January 17, 2012 at 5:43 pmI liked the guy who played Joseph Cotten – he really came across as a rascal!
Yvette says
January 17, 2012 at 6:42 pmOh me too. I kept wondering who he was. 🙂
ruth says
January 17, 2012 at 4:54 pmHey, I was just thinking about this film when I mentioned Zac on my post from last week. I’ll definitely give this a shot, though I don’t really know anything about Orson Welles. Thanks Iba.
iluvcinema says
January 17, 2012 at 5:41 pmMr. Welles is definitely an interesting figure in Hollywood cinema. He went from prodigy to pariah over the course of his career – definitely an interesting journey.
Todd Mason says
January 17, 2012 at 11:03 pmI haven’t seen this one yet…saw the LS as Welles RKO 281 and THE NIGHT THAT PANICKED AMERICA and CRADLE WILL ROCK…so I need to catch up before planning my Welles-portrait fest!
iluvcinema says
January 18, 2012 at 12:08 amMcKay definitely has the voice down pat!