The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist (2017)

Rent The Disaster Artist on Amazon Video // Read the novel
Written by: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber (screenplay by), Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell (based on the book "The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made" by)
Directed by: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Ari Graynor, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Jacki Weaver, Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson, June Diane Raphael, Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas
Rated: R
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Plot
When aspiring film actor Greg Sestero meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class, they make their dreams come true.

Verdict
If this wasn't rooted in fact, I wouldn't believe it. If you don't know Tommy Wiseau, you'd think this is some kind of wild parody. The movie is never less than entertaining, providing a surreal look at what it takes to make a movie while redefining the definition of famous.
Wiseau is mysterious, awkward, and supremely confidant. He never let a setback stop him from achieving his undefined goals.
Watch it.

Review
Opening in 2003, The Room became a so-bad-it's-good cult classic. This provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and the friendship between the director and star who propelled it as the movie frequently feels like a parody.

You wonder how accurate this is, and I know how weird Wiseau can be. Is he really this odd? Does he really talk like that? He's definitely unique and Greg is bewildered by Wiseau. It's easy to be confused by the enigma that is Wiseau, even watching this and knowing Wiseau's reputation I wasn't sure what to think. In a typical movie Wiseau would be an alien imposter. He's unfamiliar with pop culture, he's strange, and awkward.

In one scene Greg's mother doubts Wiseau's age, sarcastically stating, "I just turned fourteen." Wiseu replies in earnest, "Uh, happy birthday." It's a funny scene because you know Wiseau is serious.

This borders on parody. Wiseau is determined to make a movie despite having no knowledge of the industry. Greg helps guide him in what's required to make a movie. Wiseau has no reason to do this and no vision, he just wants to make a movie and somehow he has all the money to make it happen. He spent six million to make the movie and came no where close to making it back. No one knows where Wiseau got his money, in this film or in real life. No one knows where he's from, not believing his Louisiana claim.

I laughed out loud multiple times. This movie is bonkers. In the scene where Wiseau, playing a character in his movie, kills himself, it's the oddest attempt at acting I've ever seen. Even watching this and knowing the movie got made, you wonder how. It has to come down to Wiseau's determination. You couldn't intentionally act as poorly as Wiseau does, and that's baffling considering he thinks he's giving an Oscar worthy performance. James Franco does a great job recreating The Room and inhabiting Wiseau.

You could ask why Greg would attempt this journey with Wiseau, but Greg was chasing a dream and Wiseau promised to fulfill that dream. The premiere of the film is awkward as the cast and crew realize just how bad of a movie it became. They squirm in their seats before finally succumbing to laughter. You feel bad for Wiseau. This was his dream and it got squashed. I'm sure he can't understand why people think the movie is funny, but few movies get such strong reaction, good or bad. He took it in stride and changed his stance, stating he intended to make the film a comedy.