The Disaster Artist
4/5
Directed by: James Franco
Rated: R
There is a film that lives in legend...for being one of the worst films ever made. This piece of pure disastrous pleasure is Tommy Wiseau's The Room (2003), a masterpiece of garbage that still has midnight screenings to sold out auditoriums. How did a film so horribly designed and poorly executed become one of the most popular pieces of cinema, and how was such a film created? Director James Franco has brought this story and the curious and unforgettable mastermind behind it all, Tommy Wiseau, to life. Based on the autobiography of the same name by Greg Sestero, this is the true story of The Disaster Artist.
The Disaster Artist's greatest appeal comes from its top notch performances from leads James and Dave Franco. These two real life brothers play one of the most unique best friend duos ever portrayed on screen. Dave Franco plays Greg Sestero, a young bachelor who wants to make something of himself in L.A. He's got charm and charisma, but he lacks confidence and the ability to cut loose. If Greg is one side of the wide eyed L.A. dreamer (apprehensive and yet eager), then James Franco's character, Tommy Wiseau, is more than the opposite end. Tommy holds nothing back and lets all of his craziness run his life. He makes choices on whims, and will follow his dreams no matter where they will lead. James Franco plays this enigmatic lunatic with spirit and insanity, complete with Wiseau's famous unworldly accent. When these two friends team up to take L.A. by making their own film, The Room, they encounter a series of other great performers, including Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Jacki Weaver, Josh Hutcherson and plenty more.
The Disaster Artist's screenplay does an excellent job framing the events surrounding The Room's creation. This film follows Sestero and Wiseau from the day they first met, to their early adventures in L.A., to the moment they decided to write and produce their own film, through all of the trials and chaos that came with making such a project and finally concluding with their finished project's big premier and initial reception. There is quite a lot of ground covered in this film's story, and The Disaster Artist's screenplay is a great guide for this journey. It's humorous, truthful and full of heart. Aside from one or two slow segments, The Disaster Artist wastes none of its 104 minute runtime.
Beyond this film's great performances and excellent screenplay, The Disaster Artist features unpredictable direction provided by James Franco. The manner in which the camera captures the mood of The Disaster Artist closely matches the look and feel present in Wiseau's The Room. When The Disaster Artist reaches the moment in its screenplay where it shows recreated footage from The Room, audience members might think the only thing separating The Disaster Artist from The Room is its narrative coherence. Its this level of nutty direction placing this biographical picture in a category both above and below other biopics (Above because it elevates the realm of what a high quality biopic can cover, and below because it covers this unfamiliar realm through a film that is made to look as if it was unskillfully made). Ultimately, The Disaster Artist is a fun and ridiculous true story that is easily worth checking out from Redbox or the local library.
Verdict: Documenting the uncanny true story of the creation of The Room, The Disaster Artist features terrific performances, an excellent screenplay and fantastic direction making it one wild and fun experience.
The Disaster Artist's greatest appeal comes from its top notch performances from leads James and Dave Franco. These two real life brothers play one of the most unique best friend duos ever portrayed on screen. Dave Franco plays Greg Sestero, a young bachelor who wants to make something of himself in L.A. He's got charm and charisma, but he lacks confidence and the ability to cut loose. If Greg is one side of the wide eyed L.A. dreamer (apprehensive and yet eager), then James Franco's character, Tommy Wiseau, is more than the opposite end. Tommy holds nothing back and lets all of his craziness run his life. He makes choices on whims, and will follow his dreams no matter where they will lead. James Franco plays this enigmatic lunatic with spirit and insanity, complete with Wiseau's famous unworldly accent. When these two friends team up to take L.A. by making their own film, The Room, they encounter a series of other great performers, including Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Jacki Weaver, Josh Hutcherson and plenty more.
The Disaster Artist's screenplay does an excellent job framing the events surrounding The Room's creation. This film follows Sestero and Wiseau from the day they first met, to their early adventures in L.A., to the moment they decided to write and produce their own film, through all of the trials and chaos that came with making such a project and finally concluding with their finished project's big premier and initial reception. There is quite a lot of ground covered in this film's story, and The Disaster Artist's screenplay is a great guide for this journey. It's humorous, truthful and full of heart. Aside from one or two slow segments, The Disaster Artist wastes none of its 104 minute runtime.
Beyond this film's great performances and excellent screenplay, The Disaster Artist features unpredictable direction provided by James Franco. The manner in which the camera captures the mood of The Disaster Artist closely matches the look and feel present in Wiseau's The Room. When The Disaster Artist reaches the moment in its screenplay where it shows recreated footage from The Room, audience members might think the only thing separating The Disaster Artist from The Room is its narrative coherence. Its this level of nutty direction placing this biographical picture in a category both above and below other biopics (Above because it elevates the realm of what a high quality biopic can cover, and below because it covers this unfamiliar realm through a film that is made to look as if it was unskillfully made). Ultimately, The Disaster Artist is a fun and ridiculous true story that is easily worth checking out from Redbox or the local library.
Verdict: Documenting the uncanny true story of the creation of The Room, The Disaster Artist features terrific performances, an excellent screenplay and fantastic direction making it one wild and fun experience.
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