Movie news with Conor Nolan

By [rrothery]

HIGH School Musical heart-throb Zac Efron finally throws off the shackles of that particular franchise and proves that he is actually a very fine young actor.

Me & Orson Welles is set in the exciting world of the New York theatre in the 1930s.

Young student Richard Samuels (Efron) gets a lucky break with a minor role in the legendary 1937 Mercury Theatre production of Julius Caesar, directed by a youthful Orson Welles (Christian McKay.)

Over the course of a magical week, Richard makes his Broadway debut, finds romance with an ambitious older woman, and experiences the dark side of genius after daring to cross the imperious, brilliant Welles.

This is a perfectly formed feel good movie and Efron acquits himself very well but the star of the show is newcomer McKay — he is truly sensational as Welles.

It opens Friday, is a 12A certificate and is definitely worth seeing.

The Lovely Bones

There are a very few perks these days attached to being a film critic and the endless commuting backwards and forwards to London is certainly not one of them.

However, being given an exclusive preview of Peter Jackson's highly anticipated adaptation of Alice Sebold's acclaimed novel The Lovely Bones certainly rates as one of the best perks I have had in a long time.

The movie opens Friday January 29 and it is fair to say that I could fill this page with superlatives to describe what an accomplishment this movie is.

The Lord Of The Rings director has really surpassed himself with this achingly beautiful tale of love, loss and redemption.