Me and Orson Welles (2009)

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I wanted to hate this movie because it gave me a bitter aftertaste that I couldn't put my finger on. I admit, the praise that others have heaped upon this film is true: acting is superb, the entire production is authentic, and Christian McKay's rendition of Orson is very convincing, particularly that voice. So why did it leave me with a feeling like I had just ingested a triple salami sandwich with extra onions and pimentos?The key is staring us all in the face; it's in the title. "Me & Orson Welles" (notice the audacity of putting "Me" before "Orson Welles") is a scathing portrayal of the unapologetic one-upmanship and venomous diva mentality which apparently dominates the entertainment industry and always has. Orson Welles is shown to be arrogance personified, and understandably so, but far more unsettling is the way every member of the stage community, from the leading lady all the way down to the lowly set designer, is equally self-centered and demanding "me me me". What's very clever about this movie is that it's very subtle. This is not a thick satire like "Catch-22" or a society-deprecating fable like "Edward Scissorhands" which immediately shows us the fault in the human condition. No, this is so subtle that most people may not even catch the sarcasm at work.Aside from good looks, not a single character is likable. Claire Danes with her breezy smile and undeniably cute face plays a theater gold-digger so adept with her ladder climbing you'd think she was a firefighter. Always on her way to rendezvous with the latest producer/celebrity du jour, you start to wonder if she has a soul behind those dark eyes. Hats off to Claire for being able to play such a destestable character with grace, elegance and charm that makes us overlook her selfish agenda and instead become captivated by her. Other characters are more obvious with their self-serving natures, demanding more lines, special lighting, and everything short of a bowl of m&m's with all the brown ones removed. (Any 80s hair band fans out there? That's a reference to Van Halen's bizarre demand/prank at every concert.)Ironically, and brilliantly, the one character whom I found to be thoroughly likable despite his selfishness was Orson Welles himself. This is simply because he openly and unapologetically makes himself the despotic king (much like Julius Caesar, the play they are performing), while all the other characters are toadies and yes-men who hypocritically assume their subservient roles in the pecking order. But Orson is shown to be probably how he was in real life: a master manipulator and Machiavellian stage tyrant whom you gotta love because he lets everyone know exactly what they're in for, should they choose to join his bizarre circus known as the Mercury Theater.Now enter Zac Ephron's wide-eyed, idealistic and naïve character "Junior" who is thrown into this bizarre food chain, full of ridiculous notions like giving credit where credit is due, respect for others, and of course the most doomed concept to enter a theater since Abraham Lincoln, "love". Zac Ephron's monologue near the end when he recites a verse in class is chilling, and the sinister stare he gives as he delivers the last line is indicative that he has learned a thing or two about theater. Pay attention to that monologue because it sums up everything I'm saying here.I think if you're intrigued by dark (yet subtle) themes like this, then you'll have a great time. I have to strongly disagree with a few other reviewers' descriptions using words like "charming", "nostalgic" and "wonderful". That's like saying Beethoven's 5th symphony was a real toe tapper in "Clockwork Orange". Knowing director Richard Linklater's body of work including muckraking films like "Fast Food Nation" and even the insidiously disturbing teen flick "Dazed and Confused", I have no doubt that "Me & Orson Welles" was a deliberate anti-romance. And I don't mean romance between two people; I mean the romance of a young lad and his first "kiss" with the theater. Definitely check out this flick if you're up for a challenge and not afraid to get a little dirty.

This movie follows the experience of a pushy high school student who unexpectedly finds himself in the position of an oppressed capable in a Broadway Shakespeare production in New York City, goes through precisely what many young Americans seeking success in employment of first choice as a goal to advance in life experience and ends up the wiser for it without gaining anything substantial. One strong point is the elegance of how 1930's New York City is portrayed. Another is even though this as much a parable of the underbelly of New York's Broadway as is Damon Runyon's GUYS AHD DOLLS, the message is so universal many folks who remember seeking advancement through the work world and end up wiser and better in mature life for the adventure without serious salary payment or serious job security to show for what they wanted to make a favored career. A fast moving film easy to look at and easy to listen to that will probably appeal on different levels to most filmgoers.

Christian McKay, Zac Efron, Claire Danes. The troupe of Mercury Players who made Orson Welles famous with the staging of Shakespeare's Julias Caesar as a modern dress drama in 1937. It is told through the eyes of a high school boy after he is cast in a bit part. He is bored with school so one day skips and rides the subway to Manhattan. During his day, he runs into Welles in front of the theater and in a conversation is given a chance to read a small part in the play. He is cast and is introduced to the young assistant to the theater manager.He makes a play for her and even though she is older, and the men of the cast call her the Ice Queen, she goes out with him when he wins a drawing for dates that Orson thinks is a swell idea so the cast can become better acquainted. They end up having sex. He falls hard for her and feels betrayed when she just blows him off later.Interesting, and illustrates the comment on how a play comes together and works - "It is a mystery." 7/10

Monotone is the best suited word to describe it. I love every other Linklater film and I've been postponing to watch this film because I don't think "Junior", played by Effron, is much of an actor. Well, I was right, the kid overacts, delivers some of his lines as if he's reading from the script as they're shooting it and even reacts before the right moment. In this scene, where the character played by Kelly Reilly kisses him on the cheek, the kid literally reacts to the kiss before it is even landed. But the problem with this film is not the teenage idol. I don't understand why a brilliant writer such as Richard Linklater would choose to direct someone else's script, specially a particularly horrible one. This film is an insult to New York period films post Mad Men; the characters act - or overact - as if they are on a play the entire time. I don't know whose fault it is, but I doubt it was Linklater's who usually goes for the natural performances, sometimes even improvs. Unless you're a 12 year-old teenage girl who never heard of Orson Welles, you have nothing to take from this, not even entertainment.