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Poster for Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

Seen it?

2014 | 92 min | Documentary

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With almost no lasting buzz and soft box office, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 32 min.
What might put you off
Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.

The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible independent creator: a musical prodigy, an excellent painter, a master of theater and radio, a modern Shakespeare, a magician who was always searching for a new trick to surprise his audience, a romantic and legendary figure who lived only for cinema.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    73% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 1K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Chuck Workman

  • Simon CallowSelf - Actor and Welles' Biographer
  • Christopher WellesSelf - Orson's Oldest Daughter
  • Joanne Hill StylesSelf - Orson's Classmate
  • Norman LloydSelf - Actor
  • Julie TaymorSelf - Stage and Film Director
  • Paolo Cherchi UsaiSelf - G. Eastman House Curator
  • Peter BogdanovichSelf - Filmmaker
  • James NaremoreSelf - Writer and Film Scholar
  • Elvis MitchellSelf - Film Critic
  • Jonathan RosenbaumSelf - Film Critic