Review 422: The Disaster Artist

Well, The Disaster Artist is one film that I never thought I'd see - a film about the making of what is considered one of the worst films of all time. But I must say, it is exceptionally well crafted, heartfelt & raucously funny.

Based on the book The Disaster Artist: My Life inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, in 1999 San Fransisco, aspiring actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) meets a mysterious man named Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) during an acting class. Sestero becomes infatuated with Wiseau's fearlessness onstage and over the coming months they develop a strong albeit bizarre friendship sharing their passion for film and acting, eventually moving LA to make it big.
After receiving multiple rejections from agencies, casting directors and Hollywood insiders, Wiseau spends the next three years writing the script for what will become The Room. Wiseau, Sestero and their crew then face trials and tribulations over the course of its production.

The plot is so serial that it's visually impossible to believe it's actually a real story. But what makes it work that Franco never makes fun of this film, it honours Wiseau's story.
It recognises The Room as this cult movie that has gained a lot of fans albeit not for the intended reasons.
Yet there is something quite inspirational about this film, in that these two nobodies with pretty much nothing to their names save for  Tommy Wiseau seemingly unlimited amount of money just set out to make this film independently and in the process created something that has become enduring in film culture, again, not for the intended reasons, but something that has become enduring nonetheless and that ain't bad.

James Franco's direction is utterly outrageous, the score by Dave Porter is delightfully catchy, the cinematography is terrific and captures the bright, sunny, appealing look of late 1990's - early 2000's San Fran & LA. The production design is excellent and also captures the beauty and the prolificness of late 1990's - early 2000's San Fran & LA. The costumes are stupendous, the film also makes excellent use of handheld photography which helps to enhance the film making experience that this film is about. The comedy is a most peculiar kind/brand in this film. It's laughing with but kind of paying homage to the absurdity and so-bad-it-good humour that made The Room so famous in the first place.

The acting  James & Dave Franco just carry this film on their shoulders as though they were competitors in a four-legged race. It's clear they poured their hearts and souls into the making of this film and wanted to honour Tommy Wiseau's creation.

James Franco in particular is amazing as Tommy Wiseau, expertly capturing Wiseau's accent, his mannerisms, his habits, his eccentricities, his larger than life ambitions, his...  mind bogglingly crazy vision as well as his "talents" or lack thereof.

Dave Franco

Oh hi Mark! 5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.