Me and Orson Welles (2009) PG-13

This type of film isn't usually my cup of tea, but I heard nothing but good things about it, so here we are. It stars teen heartthrob Zac Efron (Charlie St. Cloud, 17 Again). He's your typical 1930's teenager who wants a taste of the big city life of New York City. This film is directed by Richard Linklater (A Scanner Darkly, The School of Rock). Linklater has proven that he can direct absolutely anything.

Efron plays 17-year-old Richard Samuels. After school he often takes the train into the big city. He stumbles into record stores, museums, and theaters. He meets a young aspiring writer named Gretta (Zoe Kazan). They become friends as they both try to hit it big in the Big Apple. Richard is hanging outside a prestigious theater when Orson Welles (Christian McKay) makes an appearance. Richard makes a good impression on Orson and gets cast in Orson's new production of Julius Caesar. His role is small but he's excited nonetheless.

He meets the beautiful Sonja (Claire Danes). She works at the theater and he instantly falls in love with her. They become friends almost immediately. The Julius Caesar cast includes Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line), Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes), James Tupper, and Leo Bill (28 Days Later). The plays producer is Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, V For Vendetta). They all adore young Richard.

Orson takes Richard under his wing because he sees something in him. But Orson is an egotistical, self-centered, cold-hearted excuse of a human being. But, he's also a genius when it comes to theater, film, and radio. Orson cheats on his wife, verbally abuses everyone he knows, and fires people who contradict him.

Things seem to be going along well, especially after Richard and Sonja become more than friends after a few dates. But Orson soon becomes aware of their friendship and uses his power to take Sonja from Richard. That's when things start to snowball for Richard. He calls out Orson and all his faults. So, Orson fires him on the spot. Can Richard get his dream job and dream girl back? Or is Orson and his ulterior motives a lost cause?

McKay (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger) is absolutely fantastic as Orson Welles. It's as if you're watching the real Welles on that stage. Claire Danes (Brokedown Palace, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) and Zac Efron are effective enough to keep you interested. It's a decent storyline, which is loosely based on actual events. The ending is a bit of a shock, which was a nice touch I thought. Overall, it's a fun ride, with some very good performances. This film could be called a 'chick flick', but I think everyone should find something they like about this film.
C+