Me And Orson Welles - DVD Review

'more than the Efron vehicle its cover would suggest... entirely entertaining and unexpectedly substantial fare'

There are two things that are noticeable right from the offing in Me And Orson Welles; Zac Efron's hair and the fact that the film doesn't have a start. Of course, the film does have a 'start' just not necessarily one you would typically associate with a classically structured dramatic film: one quick and abrupt chance encounter between Orson Welles (Christian McKay) and Richard Samuels (Efron) and we're right into the meat of the plot, leaving the viewer little time to ponder Efron's bizarrely over-moused and manically out-of-period barnet.

Which, on reflection, is probably a good thing, as it leaves thankfully few moments to find distraction from all of the talent on show here. Starting with Richard Linklater, a director you forget about at your peril, and working down through Efron and McKay to Claire Danes, Ben Chaplin and Eddie Marsan, this is a film filled with 'proper' actors, most of whom spend the entire run time firing off killer scenes with magnificent 1930s bravado.

Chief amongst the bit parts is Chaplin, the Queen-like star of Welles' production of Julius Caesar, playing Mark Antony. Never quiet or understated, Chaplin conquers and owns the role of insecure but superlative 'star' and despite a brief screen time, sacrificed in favour of the three leads, his quality shines through.

Rightly though, our focus here is on Danes (who is brilliant), Efron (who is somewhere just above passable) and McKay (who is superb). Their triangular relationship is the real dramatic crux of Me And Orson Welles, and each one is required to pull their weight and adapt dramatically on several occasions. Paradoxically, McKay shows the most ability but the least range: his Welles is demanded to own every scene, capturing his audience (us or those in his theatre) in a fixed gaze and domineering presence. He pulls it off. More than that in fact, he's basically faultless and whilst Danes and Efron have a thankless task opposite him (as indeed, apparently, did anyone opposite the real Welles) they both generally succeed.

The main gripe here is a really out of place prologue/epilogue between Richard and an otherwise absent character called Gretta (Zoe Kazan), which feels mechanically inserted to facilitate a tween-happy ending, otherwise having no place here dramatically. Elsewhere though, moments of brilliance pervade with the real highlight being the selected outtakes of the show's opening night, expertly shot and framed by Linklater and perfectly performed by actors who by now are playing two roles. Much more than the Efron vehicle its cover would suggest, this is entirely entertaining and unexpectedly substantial fare.

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'[Linklater] commands his material just as much as his actors command their characters, and although it may be too tidy at times, the film is a gem' - The King Bulletin, 3 and 1/2 out of 4