Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin, Claire Danes, Zac Efron
Released: 04/12/2009
Rated: 12A
Recent High School Musical Graduate and current Hollywood heartthrob,’ Zac Efron has taken on a challenge, a role in a film that doesn’t involve basketball, singing or dancing (much). He’s taken a brave step away from Disney and his usual target audience and the verdict is that he ain’t half bad.
It’s set in the 1930’s in New York City (despite not a single scene being shot there) and Efron plays Richard, a young man who accidently makes an impression on actor, theatre director and all round man of entertainment, Orson Welles (McKay). Welles is diabolic and Richard is encourageable and more naive than he believes; a pairing set for disaster.
There is a slight complication with Richard dropping his education to go and play a minor part in Orson’s cast, in his production of ‘Caesar’. The complication is about 5ft 10, has blonde tresses and long legs, she is also Orson’s secretary, played by an impressive Claire Danes. Richards’s first problem is that he becomes besotted with her and the second, in no uncertain terms she’s one of Orson’s many gals.
Some people find the idea of a play within a film a tad unnerving and argue, if you want to see a play, then why not go to the theatre? Here this would be a fair criticism as the final half hour of the film basically shows every scene of the play, which is not necessary, dramatically or in the sense of furthering the story or emotion.
The film is set against delightful little ditties of the time; Jools Holland assisted with the confident soundtrack and also has a cameo. The costumes and dialogue are all perfectly befitting of the time, and although at times the film tends to drag a bit, unknown English actors Christian McKay’s fantastic performance alone makes the film worth seeing.
Amy V Gathercole
Tags: me and orson welles, orson welles, zac efron
