ME AND ORSON WELLES 2008 114 minutes

Before Orson Welles stormed Hollywood with Citizen Kane, he was the wunderkind of New York, blazing an insolent trail with his Mercury Theater troupe. This film by Richard Linklater explores that period, offering a look into Welles’ renowned “Blackshirt” adaptation of Julius Caesar, as experienced by a high-school student cast in a small but pivotal role. Played by Zac Efron, the teen-ager comes under Welles’ charismatic sway, only to find that the great man could also be a tyrant––often taking credit for the work of his collaborators. As good a back-stage story as this film is, what makes it notable is the performance of English actor Christian McKay, who catches the mischievous charm and rapacious ego behind the Welles legend.

BE ADVISED: This film is rated PG-13, with smoking, drinking, profanity, and sexual overtones, as well as Shakespearean (and theatrical) back-stabbing.