Me And Orson Welles (12A) (From The Northern Echo)

Me And Orson Welles (12A)

5:01pm Friday 4th December 2009

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Stars: Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin, Zoe Kazan, Eddie Marsan, Kelly Reilly
Running time: 114 mins
Rating: ★★★★

HIGH School Musical teen heartthrob Zac Efron may get top billing, but screen newcomer Christian McKay will be collecting the awards for his portrayal of legendary screen actor and director Orson Welles.

Efron isn’t at all bad – showing he can do more than play a schoolboy – as teen student Richard Samuels, who blags himself a role in Welles’ offbeat production of Julius Caesar for Mercury Theatre in 1937 New York. McKay is marvellous, veering between being dictatorial and downright insulting, as the I-know-best director who puts down any sign of superiority in anyone else.

Samuels finds time to ask production assistant Sonja (Clare Danes) to help him learn his lines and even have a bit of a romance. Director Richard Linklater delivers an agreeable little drama showcasing McKay’s extraordinary turn as Welles.

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