Synopsis
New York, 1937. A teenager hired to star in Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar becomes attracted to a career-driven production assistant.
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Cast
- Zac EfronRichard Samuels
- Christian McKayOrson Welles
- Claire DanesSonja Jones
- Ben ChaplinGeorge Coulouris
- Zoe KazanGretta Alder
- Eddie MarsanJohn Houseman
- Kelly ReillyMuriel Brassler
- James TupperJoseph Cotten
- Leo BillNorman Lloyd
- Patrick KennedyGrover Burgess
Recommendations
- 90
The New York Times
Art is a fairy tale we choose to believe in, and this movie, a fiction confected about real people, is too good not to be true. - 80
The New Yorker
This is a movie of great spirit and considerable charm. It’s about the giddiness of promise--the awakening of young talent, after years of the Depression, to a moment when anything seems possible. - 75
ReelViews
Designed primarily for those who are intrigued by theater, curious about Welles, or some combination of both. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Christian McKay's impersonation of young Orson Welles is sensational in this enjoyable, though slight, historical fiction about a teen who spends a memorable week with the legendary wonder. - 70
Variety
There are moments, especially when Welles is alternating between acting as Brutus and directing everyone else, that it’s possible to forget you’re watching an actor and really believe you’re beholding Orson Welles at work. - 70
Village Voice
Deft, affectionate, and unexpectedly enjoyable. - 70
Los Angeles Times
McKay, a British stage actor who was doing an off-Broadway production about the movie legend when casting started, and Danes, whose acting always seems so effortlessly good, are the best things about the film. - 70
Salon
A sweet, modest snapshot of a long-lost time when a bold kid with a showbiz dream and a little luck could actually get somewhere, and if he could sing and dance to boot, his chances of success would be even greater. Zac Efron fits right into 1937; in 2009, he's a lost boy.
