To Be or Not to Be?

When you first see 'Me and Orson Welles', you might wonder if you can accept Christian McKay as Welles BUT it won't take long before you think the man has come back to life. This actor had played Orson before and it certainly shows.

From the credits onward this is an unusual film. The production originates from the Isle of Man - a small tax haven off the coast of England. The film itself is peopled with faces from the Royal Shakespeare Company and the story of the shoot would inspire anyone battling with a smaller budget than the film required. The Isle of Man took the place of New York and the same set at Pinewood was used over and over again from different angles to represent the whole Big Apple. Who cares? You'd never know.

Both Zac Ephron and Claire Danes are good with particular credit to Danes who manages to mix hard heart with hard head and still keep our sympathy.

I went with an actor friend who laughed out loud. This is very close to what happens behind the scenes and it is crowned by a representation of the Julius Caesar / Welles production which made his name. Don't laugh too much - some of the scenes are practically documentary footage of theatrical life.

Click here to see a trailer of Me and Orson Welles: