tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

Zac Efron as a serious young dramatic actor? If you've only seen him in the High School Musical series or Hairspray or 17 Again, then you'll probably think I'm joking. But Efron (currently ranked # 23 at the Top 50 Hitlist) is apparently trying to be just that. As one of the most popular young Hollywood stars, he certainly got the access to read some fantastic and career-defining roles and all he has to do is make it happen - that is, make sure he got the part and played the role to a T. Not so easy right? Yeah, it's not and the one film that would allow him to show everyone that he means business has yet to be released.

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That problem appeared to be solved already. Says the LA Times:

A year ago, when "Me and Orson Welles" made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was one of the most anticipated new films of the season and a leading candidate on most distributors' acquisition lists. Directed by Richard Linklater, it offered a striking vision of Orson Welles as a brash 22-year-old wunderkind mounting his legendary theatrical production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" -- four years before his "Citizen Kane" transformed moviemaking. Offering a view of Welles' escapades through the eyes of a theater-crazed teenager, the movie seemed to have something for everyone, from a great performance by Christian McKay as Welles, a lively portrait of an oversize artist as a young enfant terrible and last, but certainly not least, the presence of a red-hot young actor, Zac Efron, star of "High School Musical," in the role of Welles' starstruck protege. [ read more ]

The LA Times article goes on explaining the reason for the emergence of the movie and how it was able to resurrect itself and get a playdate in the US. As of the date of the article, Me and Orson Welles is expected to hit theaters on November 25.
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Further details will be explained by this portion of the article:

Freestyle Releasing's Mark Borde, who's been in distribution for nearly four decades, says his company is a perfect fit for a specialized film like "Me and Orson Welles," which could attract several distinct audiences: older moviegoers eager to see a story about the fabled Orson Welles as well as younger moviegoers who are fans of Efron and Claire Danes, who plays an ambitious young assistant to Welles who becomes romantically involved with Efron.

About the Movie: From director Richard Linklater comes the story of a whirlwind week in 1937 New York City when a young aspiring actor (Zac Efron) is thrown into the middle of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre Company, on the eve of the opening of Welles' historic staging of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. During this week, Richard will find romance with a worldly older woman (Claire Danes), become immersed in a creative experience few are afforded, and learn the downside of crossing the imperious, brilliant Welles (strikingly portrayed by newcomer Christian McKay). Richard is about to grow up FAST.

Here's some scenes from 'Me and Orson Welles':

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A friend of mine who lives in Toronto and has watched Me and Orson Welles (and whose tastes in movies I respect very much) was  both surprised and impressed by the movie. However, the biggest question in everybody's mind: Was Zac Efron able to deliver? My friend said he did but let's take a look at some reviews...

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The Reviews on Efron's Performance: A selection of reviews both the positives and the negatives.

Todd McCarthy at Variety wrote an extensive review which is generally positive and praised the performance of Christian McKay who played Orson Welles. However, with regards to Zac Eforn's performance, this is what he said:

Although he's adequate, Efron never feels like a proper fit for Richard. The handsome thesp is too self-possessed and sure of himself for a teenage interloper in the big time; he lacks uncertainty and self-doubt.

The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt made this commentaries on Efron's performance:

The movie hits its stride as the Richard-Sonja romance heats up and Welles buckles down to business. Efron ("Hairspray," "High School Musical") holds his own against Welles/McKay, which is no easy task. He seems a bit mature for a high school student though. He's more a college sophomore.

Cinematical's James Rochi has this to say about Zac Efron in the film:

Efron's a perfectly charming leading man, even if he looks disconcertingly handsome; another actor may have been better, but you can't help but shake the feeling that Efron was cast not solely for his in the role in the film, but also for his role in the pre-production balance sheet.

Eugene Novikov at FilmBlather is quite particular about his negative views on Zac's Performance and in his review, he said:

One of the problems is Zac Efron, the Disney Channel heartthrob who plays the titular "Me" -- Richard, an easygoing, good-looking teenager who gets his break of a lifetime after telling Welles what he wanted to hear. If you have kids, you know Efron from High School Musical and its sequel; if you don't, you may remember him from Hairspray. He is built for those movies, where he can sing, dance, ham it up, and hold the screen by himself in his big scenes. In a film like Me & Orson Welles, he's a liability. He's never truly in a scene with someone; he doesn't really connect or interact. If he delivers a line in close-up, you can virtually hear Linklater saying "action" and then "cut." The conceit of Me & Orson Welles is that we observe Welles and his theatrical circus through Richard's eyes, but Efron renders that perspective dull and sterile. He's no fun to watch; his journey of discovery is boring. He's also part of the reason the film never develops any real comic momentum. There's no gleam in Efron's eye, and he can't sell the comedy. Lines that should have been killer (Love interest to Richard: "What do you have to offer?" Response: "Wealth, travel, fame. I can take you to movies that have all that.") land with a thud. He's not a good foil for the flamboyant Welles, either, because he doesn't seem to absorb anything. He just stands there. [ read more ]

I guess the critics were a bit on the negative POV when talking about Zac's performance, but over-all, they seem to favor the film as a whole and in particular, were quite impressed with Christian McKay's performance.

Still, I'm giving the last word to Zac. In an interview with the actor by director Gus Van Sant, he said:

Rick was brilliant, because he found this great theater on the Isle of Man, which, after a little bit of work, looked a whole lot like the Mercury Theatre did in 1937. We took a beautiful theater and made it look rusty and old and dusty, and, once we filled it with extras dressed in 1930s attire, the place was very believable. It even smelled like an old theater. It was pretty neat because we were basically stuck there-you know, we couldn't leave. There was nowhere to go on the Isle of Man. So we lived in that theater for several weeks. It was fun and exciting, but it was also kind of maddening. I went a little bit insane.

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What's on your mind? Are you a fan of Zac Efron? Have you seen this movie? If not, do you find this movie interesting enough to wait for its release later in November? Let us know what you think!
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