The Disaster Artist

THE DISASTER ARTIST

Director : James Franco

Year : 2017

Genre : Biographical comedy

Rating : ****1/2

Released in 2003 to unanimously scathing reviews and terrible box office returns, Tommy Wiseau's hilariously inept comedy-drama 'The Room' quickly gained the reputation of being one of the worst movies ever made. With it's terrible acting, dreadful yet iconic script ("You are tearing me apart, Lisa!"), cringe-worthy sex scenes and plot-holes big enough to navigate a Boeing 747 through, the film is one of the most incompetent ever to grace the silver screen. However, it also a relentlessly (albeit unintentionally) uproarious watch that, like 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' before it, has gathered a worldwide cult following with one of the most devoted fanbases in cinema history - some of whom just happen to be the biggest names in comedy.

Now 14 years after 'The Room' crash-landed into popular culture, director, actor and self-confessed obsessive James Franco tells the extraordinary true story behind this most beloved of bad films and, in the process, creates one of the very best films of the year. It is a consistently hilarious, incredibly entertaining and oddly touching story that highlights the importance of determination, passion and self-belief while never outwardly poking fun at it's very amusing subject matter. 

Taking both it's inspiration and it's title from 'The Room' star Greg Sestero and journalist Tom Bissell's bestselling memoir, 'The Disaster Artist' traces both Wiseau and Sestero's (played brilliantly by James' younger brother Dave) strange yet compelling journey from aspiring actors to cult-cinema icons. In both his role as director and actor, James Franco is absolutely brilliant, perfectly echoing the bizarre, enigmatic charm of Wiseau with a surprisingly warm air of sincerity and admiration. Donning the greasy black hair, trademark shades and that unmistakable euro-inflected accent, he delivers a pretty damn accurate impersonation of Tommy - even if the makeup and prosthetics don't always convince. As director, his attention to detail is astonishing and while those not familiar with 'The Room' may not fully understand the many in-jokes Franco slips in throughout 'The Disaster Artist', aficionados are sure to be impressed by the many faithful reconstructions from some of the movies most iconic and hilarious scenes.

Supporting Franco is a cast of great comedic talents who all fully commit themselves to their performances, thereby making the many funny moments that much funnier. While not given as many opportunities to shine as his scene-stealing brother, Dave Franco is equally great conveying the frustrated ambition of Greg Sestero while regular Franco collaborator Seth Rogen is an absolute joy in the role of Wiseau's dumbfounded script supervisor Sandy  Schklair. Other performance highlights include those of Zac Efron and Josh Hutcherson as 'The Room' stars Dan Janjigan (Chris R.) and Philip Haldiman (Denny) respectively and  Alison Brie   who shines in her all-too brief appearances as Greg's long-suffering girlfriend Amber. 

2017 has been a pretty good year for comedies and 'The Disaster Artist' stands out as one of the very best. In fact, there were points throughout the film when I and my friend nearly had to leave the cinema because  we were laughing so hard and disturbing the rest of the audience. However, the thing that is so great about 'The Disaster Artist' is that it doesn't laugh at Tommy Wiseau and 'The Room' but rather it laughs with them. Like Tim Burton's 1995 monochrome masterpiece 'Ed Wood', the film sympathises with Wiseau and his deluded passion and while Franco doesn't shy away from Tommy's darker side (the reconstruction of 'The Room's infamous sex scene paints him in an incredibly monstrous light), for the most part, he asks us take pity on him and admire his ambition - and thanks to his brilliant central performance, we do. Yes, there is plenty to amuse here but there is also an underlying sense of admiration and respect that really makes 'The Disaster Artist' one of the most uplifting films of the year. 

While it isn't necessary to watch 'The Room' beforehand, I would absolutely recommend getting together with a group of friends to experience the film together. Not only will it lend more context to 'The Disaster Artist' but it is also one of the best times you will ever have watching a movie. Yes it is deserving of the title of the worst film ever made but it is also one of the most hilariously enjoyable and Franco has succeeded in giving Tommy and his movie the perverse praise they deserve. By making 'The Room', Wiseau wanted to leave his mark on Hollywood. 'The Disaster Artist' proves that, in his own unique way, he succeeded.