This is a very entertaining movie! I am surprised, not because of the talent involved (Slacker-extraordinaire Linklater, the lovely Claire Danes) but because it received so little buzz. Remember when Tim Robbins directed that dreadful work about the Manhattan theater scene in the Thirties -- "Cradle Will Rock" (1999)? This movie is everything that forgettable failure wasn't: it gets the zeitgeist right! New York in the Thirties: you are immediately drawn into the exciting world of live theater when Orson Welles was an impetuous, unproven genius -- pre-Citizen Kane.
All of the real-life supporting players are there: John Housman (Eddie Marsan), Joseph Cotton (that guy from 'Men in Trees'), Norman Lloyd, and other, less well-known members of his acting troupe (Ben Chaplin, the lovely redhead Kelly Reilly). All are excellent because they are totally committed to their roles. But the movie wouldn't work if the man himself was unconvincing. Instead, Christian McKay as Orson Welles is brilliant. If he's not nominated for an Oscar, there is no justice! Oh, and Zach Ephron is the star. So why didn't this movie get more attention?
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