Orson Welles
HIGH School Musical star Zac Efron attempts to step away from cutesy, teen-friendly fare with this handsome period piece.
To a large degree he succeeds, testing his acting mettle as part of an impressive ensemble cast, which includes Claire Danes and Ben Chaplin, in a drama inspired by Orson Welles’s notorious 1937 staging of Julius Caesar.
However, you evidently can’t take the boy away from the musical completely, because Richard Linklater’s film culminates in his singing sweetly while plucking a ukulele.
However, Me & Orson Welles is ultimately a showcase for newcomer Christian McKay as the bullying, egocentric titular legend. With a rumbustious, eye-catching portrayal that puts his co-stars in the shade, the Lancashire-born actor can look forward to an Oscar nomination. Linklater’s picture evokes a vibrant period in New York history. Not once do we doubt the illusion.
CLAIRE DANES interview – Page 14
