Five Minutes Mr Welles is a short film by Vincent D'Onofrio. It debuted at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. Until now, it has never been available before outside of the film festival circuit. Enjoy!!!
OMG i had no idea this existed and ever since i saw Ed Wood i wanted to see Vincent as Welles again. He is perfect for it. He needs to be in a Welles biopic
No one else could do Orson Welles justice other than Vincent D'onofrio. True to Welles himself, D'onofrio wrote, directed and starred in this magnum opus. Masterful.
There are a few (Two, actually) moments during which Mr. D'Onofrio almost magically becomes Orson Wells! The actor's voice, dress, manner, movement all( in two 3 second long moments) come together so that I couldn't have possibly discerned between this actor and the Orson Wells of a specific period. This is a generally intelligent film, and a great piece of character acting. But those couple of short moments when VD became Orson Wells are truly extraordinary.
I'd like to buy Mr. D'Onofrio a cup of coffee and thank him for the pleasure his work has given me. I had seen him on Law and Order. When I realized his earlier works, I was truly floored! That is acting!!! Peace
I sure do hope you've watched him in The Whole Wide World. It seems as if no one ever mentions that magnificent movie and what he did in it. I even had to edit his Wikipedia page yesterday, wherein the movie was. Not. Mentioned! I stood in disbelief. Him as Robert E Howard, I have no words for what he did and is, in that role and in himself.
Simply superb! Mr. D'Onofrio has always impressed me with his stellar acting talent; now, I see he is just as gifted as a director. Pitch perfect on all levels. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful piece of art!
It's Fathers Day and I'm watching this video with my dad who has always been a huge Orson Welles fan. We both agree that Vincent's potrayal of him was perfect.I hope it comes out on dvd soon. Veronica
Vincent D'Onofrio played Orson Welles in the movie "Ed Wood" with Johnny Debb. In that movie, his facial expressions, mannerisms, and voice was so like Orson that it was hard to believe that he wasn't Orson. He's having a short conversation with Ed Wood twice in the movie. Really short scenes. Loved him also in Thumbsucker.
Tim Burton was unimpressed with D'Onofrio's entire performance in "Ed Wood" and decided that in order to save the scene, as well as some money on recasting the part, he would just have Vincent's voice Re-Dubbed in post. At the end of the day, Voice Actor Maurice LaMarche was the one responsible for bringing Wells' uncanny and unmistakable baritone to life and is the voice you here to this day in the final picture. LaMarche has been the voice of many Characters throughout the years in animations such as Futurama, Animatics, Pinky and the Brain, etc... the list goes on and on. He's even the voice for that weird bird in all those Fruit Loops Commercials. The one voice though that he is most known for, especially from my generation, is none other than Egon Spengler in "The Real Ghostbusters". All and all, this short film Directed by D'Onofrio is actually the result from the ridicule he endured from critics because of the speculation in reasoning behind the redubbed performance in Ed Wood. He wanted to prove to others and possibly to himself that he could pull off the performance, I guess. The End.
This film feels so authentic to the period. The set, the black and white, the acting and the directing - it all works. The accent is spot on too. I've watched this film a couple of times now, and the script is so tight, it works on so many levels. Brilliant ! Thank you for sharing.
Vincent D'Onofrio is not only a fabulous actor, but he shows other sides of his astounding creative genius in this true work of art. It is AMAZING what he managed to accomplish in just a mere 31 minutes with this short! If you have not seen "The Third Man" in a very long time (or ever?), watch it AFTER you see this OUTSTANDING piece by Mr. D'Onofrio. Alnonymous 2000 was so right - - if only there were a simple way to thank him. I hope his industry appreciates him; he is more than deserving.
Thank you for sharing this small but significant little masterpiece. ... *a fascinating study regarding deeply complicated & conflicted people. of course, Welles was a genius and a trickster. a gypsy. a consummate performer. a hyper-dramatic and driven human being.*
I started watching this out of curiosity and kept on watching it because it's really, really good. It doesn't matter that he doesn't sound as much like Welles as he did in Ed Wood; this is a much deeper and more searching performance. She's great, too. Very good film.
Maurice LaMarche sent me here. I always thought LaMarche did the best Orson Welles impersonation, but I also think Vincent D'Onofrio is a great actor, so this was really cool to see after watching Ed Wood. I liked both.
Hey VDO630! A thousand thanks to you for posting this...I can't tell you how many of us have been waiting to see this (in my case it's been a 3 year wait...bought tickets for Cinequest in San Jose in 2005 but couldn't go :( ) It was *definitely* worth the wait ;) Looking forward to seeing more of your work wherever it may show up.
The first time I watched it I was just so happy that we got to see this. The second time I closed my eyes and just listened to the voice - wonderful. Thank you.
I've been meaning to come back for DAYS now and thank you for posting this. As others have posted I'm a big fan of both Mr. Welles & Mr. D'Onofrio. I did see this at a film festival and was so wonderfully impressed. I'm very happy to see more people having the opportunity to see it - anytime they want. Thank You Again!
Mr. D'Onofrio is one of THE BEST actors of this generation. I know, others have the same sentiment, too. He's riveting - you can't take your eyes off him, wonder what's in his mind. When one listens to the trash the tabloids try to foist on us, it's a treat to see Mr. D'Onofrio, in almost anything.
Excellent! This project says something about the essential powerlessness of the actor and how aspiring towards greater power, or artistic involvement, is a tightrope walk. Welles was as qualified and accomplished a film director as any known, and yet he couldn't make the grade by the standard of the studios. You captured that dichotomy, and raised this from an interesting character study of a beloved artist to something that speaks to universal truths.
Damn. I mean...DAMN. This short film was absolutely wonderful. These types of films, those that could either be stage productions or that originated as such, always draw me in far deeper than any mega-budget blockbuster with its hi-tech, CGI FX could ever do. In the same way that Pacino, Harris, Arkin, and Lemmon did in David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross”, Vincent D’Onofrio and Janine Theriault show us just how powerful and mesmerizing great actors performing a great script can be. Thanks to the OP for posting this! 😊🙏
"I will never give less than my best............ Unfortunately , love I have no idea what the smart people do." Ah. Mr. D'Onofrio is a giant and a genius. I have loved him in everything I have ever seen him in.
This was unbelievable.. Mr. D'Onoforio can really channel Orson Welles.. And nail it. Surprised I have never crossed paths with this until now.it was quite dreamy..
So great to see D'Onofrio play Welles again a decade after "Ed Wood." Evidently he's using his real voice instead of Paul Frees dubbing it, and doing a good job with it, capturing some nuances usually overlooked.
Wow, awesome. As an actor, writer, filmmaker and generally creative person myself, I hung on every word. As an Orson Welles junkie, I was enthralled. Great work. I plan to show it to my screenwriting students next semester and every semester after.
Vincent has truly embodied two great characters; the legendary Orson Welles & the infamous villain Kingpin. I can't think of any other actor that can play either character as well as Vincent. He owns them.
I'm just amazed. Vincent D'Onofrio is really talented. And these five minutes are just WOW. I love the script and the way it was filmed, excellent shots.
As good as he has been, with the parts he has been given, I am sure there was another great part to come from him as yet unseen...A fascinating actor...
This is amazing. I remember watching an Orson Welles documentary and noticing the similarities and I thought that Vincent D'Onofrio would be great to play him. Now, I found this!
I felt like it was written by Harold Pinter. Excellent short-film: the takes are a bloody great tribute to Mr. Welles and the performances are just amazing.
vincent - your thespian talent is above the droll, common fare of the industry...Take another roll any time - you are a wonderful creative mind- keep at it -"OLD MAN"
I have always been an admirer of Welles. The cuckoo clock line is classic. I think D'Onofrio has done a good job of imagining how Welles came up with it. I also think the film comments on other themes such as the pull between art and commerce, the creative process, and the way genius consumes itself. Welles was his own Borgia, creating choas because that is where the beauty arises from.
After reading the comments some people believe he sounds too much like Peter O'Toole. Some people believe he was Welles father. Read some books kids. Vincent is an artist, I would love to work with him on any level. This man is an artist, there are few left.
Reminds me of when I was a kid and spent two hours of energy and brain power each night trying to think up an excuse as to why I didn't do my homework.with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. I understood the horror of the door knock. I liked the little details like the squeaky floorboards and camera angles to show his stature; also noticed the almost constant oral fixation with the smoking, shoveling down cake and touching the mouth.
Excellent! If you're not an Orson Welles fan or a fan of the movie 'The Third Man' you may not get it, but Vincent D'Onofrio is a splendid Welles--MUCH better than the guy who played him in 'Me and Orson Welles' (2008.)
Being absolutely one of a kind, with a persona which was itself a kind of extravagant theatrical invention, perhaps Welles will always confound actors who try to capture him.
Why all the debate about Vincent's voice. Geez. This is a fine short that is quite insightful. I thought the voice dub in Ed Wood was unnecessary. Some of the best actors and actresses portraying historical figures are rarely judged by their sound or looks -- except by shallow people -- but instead by their work. I don't see Goren here. If you see Goren, it's because you aren't engaged in the work.
Finally got around to watching this and The New Tenants in this chasm between LOCI and what's next. VDO, you're great in this, even better in The New Tenants. Always amazed at how many talented, yet relatively unknown and probably struggling actors are out there, and both of these showcased them. Janine Theriault was exceptional, I thought. Thank you for continuing to support so many Indie projects. Any my talented yet unknown actor son thanks you too.
The man is truly an amazing actor. He's my favorite living actor since the death of Marlon Brando. From FMJ, another; the film w/ Marisa Tomei, can't even describe what his performance in Whole Wide World. I love,love, love his performance on H L on the Streets' Subway episode; L& O C I. Am sooo excited by what he's done thus far as a director; Don't go in the Woods. If he hasn't wrapped his latest film, Johnny & Me, hell, i'll work for free in post-production
According to IMDB, Tim Burton did indeed have D'Onofrio dubbed by a guy named Maurice LaMarche, who apparently is a top voice artist. I was sorry to read that as I've always loved D'Onofrio in Ed Wood. But he does get Welles's presence very well.
I love this. VDO is totally convincing as Welles. From 20:29-22:17 the assistant really is Holly to Welles' Harry. At 22:23 he seems to echo Anna Schmidt's dismissal of Holly.
THE THIRD MAN was written by Graham Greene. During WW2 Greene worked for MI6 under Kim Philby. The name "Harry Lime" is an amalgamation of Harry which was Philby's first name and Lime which was Greene's. The real subtext of post-WW2 Vienna wasn't penicillin but intelligence.
Yes, Welles' physical and facial expressiveness is very unique and specific, and D'Onofrio inhabited him perfectly, I thought. But Welles' voice -- well, if it were ordinary or easy, he wouldn't have been Welles! It's just and fitting that it took two talented people to manage a persuasive impersonation of him! Now on to the latest pretender to the throne, Christian McKay... who seems from reports to have orchestrated voice (if not the timbre, then the musicality), face and body nicely.
