Me and Orson Welles

A light and frothy confection, Me and Orson Welles follows an aspiring young actor (Zac Efron’s Richard Samuels) as he goes to work at New York City’s legendary Mercury Theatre – where he quickly lands a bit part in a staging of Julius Caesar by wunderkind Orson Welles (Christian McKay). It’s a thin premise that’s generally used to positive effect by director Richard Linklater, as the filmmaker does a nice job of capturing the behind-the-scenes chaos surrounding Welles’ almost impossibly ambitious plans for the production. There’s little doubt that Efron’s younger fans will consequently find exceedingly little here worth embracing, with the movie’s relaxed pace and relatively arcane subject matter sure to leave the average teen viewer scratching their head. The quality of the movie itself is virtually irrelevant in the face of McKay’s absolutely spellbinding work as Welles, however, which certainly ensures that one’s interest tends to dwindle whenever he’s off camera (this is despite fine supporting work from Claire Danes, Ben Chaplin, and, yes, Efron). The inclusion of a few extraneous elements within the narrative – coupled with a running time that’s perhaps just a little too long – does result in a midsection that’s not quite as enthralling as one might’ve liked, and it ultimately goes without saying that Me and Orson Welles possesses the feel of a fun, consistently enjoyable endeavor that is, admittedly, a tad on the forgettable side.

*** out of ****