Me and Orson Welles
Director: Richard Linklater
Year Released: 2008
Rating: 2.0
Boy genius Welles (Christian McKay) gives a fresh-faced lad (Zac Efron) a small part in The Mercury Theatre's version of Julius Caesar, but the two clash, specifically over the affections of a shameless opportunist (Claire Danes). The Efron character is so pure and naive compared to Welles' boastful showman that he - and his frail relationship with Danes - gets lost in the movie - it's really about how good a Welles impression McKay can pull off (even the voice is eerily dead on ... damn you, RADA grads). Doesn't say much more about Welles that hasn't already been filmed before - although HBO's RKO 281 showed him in a slightly different light (and is a better movie) - and the only thing I took from this is that showbiz is cutthroat (giant shocker, there) and one should never develop feelings for a starfucker (stick with the budding writers of the world, a la Zoe Kazan).
