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Orson Welles that ends well

Directed by Richard Linklater, and adapted by Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo Jr., ‘Me and Orson Welles’ was shot in the Isle of Man, London and New York in early 2008. We learn right from the get-go, that Welles is a womaniser…

Orson Welles – ‘competitive, self-centred and brilliant.’

So self-centred, in fact, that he is purported to have taken an ambulance to beat traffic.

It is 1937 and Welles (played by newcomer, Christian McKay) is directing and starring in ‘Julius Caesar’ at Mercury Theatre , New York . He has spontaneously hired a teenager –Richard Samuels (High School Musical’s very own Zac Efron) to perform the part of Lucius in Broadway’s very first Shakespearean production and this teen is swept up in the romance and life of the thespian, quite forgetting school for a time. In the process, he finds himself falling for the career-driven production assistant (played by Claire Danes).

Directed by Richard Linklater, and adapted by Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo Jr., ‘Me and Orson Welles’ was shot in the Isle of Man, London and New York in early 2008 and was released in the US, November 2009. Christian McKay had experience playing Welles prior to the film, in a one-man show in a small New York theatre. The film is based on Robert Kaplow’s novel of the same name.

We learn right from the get-go, that Welles is a man who brutally puts himself before others and without an empathetic bone in his body, repeatedly ignores the needs and the requests of his colleagues, is a womaniser, sports a terrible temper and flails his manipulative charm about at times a little carelessly. Even if you know nothing of Welles’ personality and prowess, this film will alert you to such facts in an indelible and yet often poignant way. At one stage, Welles divulges a window into his mind when he explains to Richard that ‘acting is a miraculous reprieve from being himself.’ Welles is crawling with the burden of magnificence and yet this film neither deifies nor vilifies.

The casting is excellent, and particular mention must be made of McKay’s portrayal of Welles. Karen Durbin of ‘The New York Times’ praised McKay’s performance as he delivers ‘a watchful, assessing and subtly excited gaze that makes him thrilling and a little dangerous.’ I would describe his eyes as incredibly ‘present’ and yet with an unpredictability; a mercurial personality if ever there was one. On January 21, 2010, McKay received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor in his role as Welles.

The auburn-ringletted girl on the piano in the opening scene and again by the Greek vase in the closing scene, should also be mentioned. The sheer range of emotions flickering across her face in the short opening scene, was quite breath-taking. I couldn’t, however, get past the fact that Zac Efron looked on the cusp of whipping his shirt off, to reveal a pore-infested basketball singlet, bursting into song with his fellow High-School Musical colleagues and all whilst twirling a ball on his little finger. He looked like a kid from 2010 to me, masquerading as a 1937’s teen (I have my nephew to thank for introducing me to the High School Musical movies). I would’ve loved ‘fresh eyes’ to be able to judge Efron objectively.

The script is fast-moving when in the theatre, thanks largely to McKay’s delivery and the fact that he takes the thing by the neck and gives it ‘what for!’ I think any theatre-lovers will thoroughly enjoy the experience.

Since its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, reviews for the film have generally been favourable.

My fellow-theatre-goer commented, ‘It was Orsom!’ I’d be inclined to agree.

Memorable quotes:

Brutus, when seeing that the play was in dire need of further rehearsal on the eve of opening night said, ‘My advice, fellow Mercurians –polish thy resume.’

Orson with an egocentric florish: ‘Exhausted as I am, I shall attempt to rise above.’

By Catherine Pittams, 19 May 2010


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