David O'ConnellMe and Orson Welles
July 20th 2010 05:56
Director Richard Linklater’s career has long been distinguished for its diversity, veering from his early day-in-the-life depiction of teenagers acting out in comedies Slacker (1991) and Dazed and Confused (1993) to crowd-pleasing commercial fare like The School of Rock (2003) and Bad News Bears (2005). His two-sides-of-the-same-coin romantic gabfests Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004) are perhaps his most sublime achievements, whilst edgy, philosophical animated films Waking Life (2001) and Philip K. Dick adaptation, A Scanner Darkly (2006), remain deeply flawed but fascinating works.
His latest, Me and Orson Welles (2008), is a fascinating snapshot of the past, a fictionalized recreation of time and place, namely New York City, 1937. It also happens to be one of the finest films of the year; one galvanized by the incredible portrayal of Welles by relatively unknown Brit, Christian McKay. Much hinges on this crucial casting; anything other than perfection would have been fatally distracting. But hardly daunted by the prospect of revivifying such a canonised, iconic figure in cinema history, McKay manages to appropriate some quintessentially Welles-ian qualities: the conceit, the imposing physical presence and the booming voice, capable of carrying the weight of authority in every utterance.
The truly brilliant Christian McKay as Orson Welles
Much of the narrative is viewed through the innocent eyes of young Richard Samuels (Zac Efron) a confident wannabe actor who is introduced to Welles via his performers and production team as they're sauntering about outside the Mercury Theatre one morning. Preparations are well underway to revive Julius Caesar, but with a vacancy opened up – a clash of egos that led to instant dismissal - Welles decides upon the cocky Richard to fill a minor breech after an impromptu display of his talents.
He’s soon taken under the wing of ambitious production assistant Sonja (Claire Danes) who uses Richard’s curiosity about her for her own gain in fending off the advances of every other hot-blooded male connected with the play. The only trouble is that Richard falls head over heels for Sonja, complicating things and putting the production in jeopardy, especially since she also seems to remain at the beck and call of the indomitable Welles, for purposes both professional and of a more intimate nature.
Not purporting to be any kind of biographical or mystique-cracking exposition of Welles, the film is instead a kind of coming-of-age drama nestled against a real-time backdrop. Completed in 2008 this film has lain dormant far too long, struggling to find any release outside of the festival circuit. It succeeds as both drama and light entertainment mostly because of McKay’s stunning turn but loses nothing from the witty, literate screenplay by Vincent and Holly Gent Palmo, itself an adaptation of a novel by Robert Kaplow.
Zac Efron and Claire Danes
Teenage heart-throb Zac Efron, in what might be termed his first 'serious' role (depending how seriously you really take High School Musical films!), proves that he does have the acting chops to match it with the big boys. He more than holds his own against the winsome, typically luminous Danes and a flawless supporting cast which includes the likes of the distinctive Eddie Marsan, Ben Chaplin, and James Tupper as Joseph Cotton.
Despite the stellar contributions of all, it’s McKay who ultimately owns the film. At times he threatens to turn it into a spellbinding one man show. In some ways he does even when off-stage, his invisible presence pressing just as significantly upon the interactions of all who are fatefully drawn into the elite circle of his theatre company.
Linklater does a superb job of keeping things turning over at a brisk pace, though a couple of set pieces in particular stand out. One sees Welles performing a radio play in which his insertion of an all-consuming monologue manages to outrage his fellow performers whilst leaving us in awe of his improvisational skills. Then there's the culmination of everything in the final staging of Julius Caesar, an outstanding sequence that manages to bring alive the magic of live theatre as you hold your breath for all the elements to pull in the same direction.
Though it perhaps only illuminates the brilliance of Welles in fragments, the film still manages to perfectly encapsulate his larger-than-life persona, one that lingers long after the theatre curtains are drawn and the crowd has been sent on its way. Me and Orson Welles is a genuine show-stopper; a celebration of language, art, drama and the very fickle nature of those ruled by a dedication to their own gifts of creativity.
Me and Orson Welles in released in Australian cinemas by Madman on July 29.
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Comment by Deni
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
I'm definitely going to check this one out, I've been curious about it for quite some time. Nice write up.
Deni
Comment by David O'Connell
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I really loved RKO 281 and this now has me tempted. Thanks for the review.