"Me and Orson Welles": Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Eva Medoff

Ever wonder what Zac Efron would be like in a period piece directed by the guy who made “Dazed and Confused?” Now you can find out, with Richard Linklater’s new project, “Me and Orson Welles.” Taking place in 1937 on the eve Welles’ Broadway debut, the film follows the teenaged Efron as he gets the girl (Claire Danes), gets the part, and, wait for it—grows up.

Efron’s character Richard convinces Orson Welles (newcomer Christian McKay, in what appears to be the most powerful performance in the film) to let him star as Lucillus in his production of “Julius Caesar.” Meanwhile, he woos Danes’ production assistant Sonja and engages in some competition with Welles for her attention.

I’ve long suspected Efron was harboring some acting skills beyond singing Disney pop tunes, and after the horror that was “17 Again,” perhaps this will be the vehicle that allows him to show us. As for Danes, isn’t she a bit long in the tooth to be playing the fresh-faced love object? Her dialogue in the trailer is wooden, her makeup looks like wax and I can’t help but think this would have been the ideal project for her, say, 10 years ago.

The trailer arranges things in the neat, formulaic way you’d expect, but I suspect the movie will not follow such clichéd suit. This is coming from the man who made philosophical wonders out of teenage, drug-fueled rebellion (“Dazed and Confused”) and a marvel out of the conversation of two 20 somethings in wanderlust and love (“Before Sunrise”). Fabulous costumes and scenery, this time of 1930s New York, can never hurt, and it’s interesting to get a glimpse of film titan Welles, who often is cited as the greatest director of all time. Linklater may be the king of the coming-of-age film, but in this movie, we get to see the man who would be king of it all.

View the trailer for "Me and Orson Welles" below. Thoughts?