Young Mr. Welles

Richard Linklater is one of the cinema’s greatest chameleons, and with “Me and Orson Welles,” he puts on another disguise. The man who has directed films as diverse as “A Scanner Darkly” and “Dazed and Confused” turns his sights to 1937, when Orson Welles was about to stage a monumental production of “Julius Caesar.”

Zac Efron is the “Me” of the title, a high school student who, by luck and a bit of deception, lands a small role in Welles’ production. Efron does a passable job, but at times his earnestness is cringe inducing.

Christian McKay as Welles is really the one who drives the film. His resemblance to the real Welles is uncanny. He doesn’t merely portray Welles; he is Welles.

McKay’s Welles is not just the genius who will revolutionize theater, radio, and film. He’s also a pompous womanizer and a jealous child who fights a 17-year-old for a woman’s affections.

Linklater relies on a mostly static camera which evokes the feel of classic ’30s films. Each scene seems to be bathed in a faint golden glow, reminiscent of old sepia-toned prints.

“Me and Orson Welles” remembers a time and a man, hoping they won’t be forgotten.