As The Disaster Artist opens up, we hear from various celebrities speaking on the now cult classic known as The Room. A24 Pictures & New Line Cinema present the hilarious black comedy, The Disaster Artist. Director James Franco brings the real-life story of writer/director Tommy Wiseau to the big screen. The man behind what is often referred to as "The Citizen Kane of Bad Movies," The Room, is brought to life, chronicling the odd film's troubled development and eventual cult success.
The film opens up when Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) in an acting class. They form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true. As the two struggle to make it in the" City Of Angels," Tommy has the bright idea for the two to make their own film, The Room.
What follows is a humorous look at Wiseau's goal to become a director a reality. One might think, to enjoy The Disaster Artist, you need to see have seen The Room. Instead of making this a one-joke, Franco and his screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber chose to focus on Greg & Tommy's friendship. It helps that the screenwriting team adapted Sestero's book, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside the Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made.
While the film has a great supporting cast with scene-stealing moments from the always reliable Seth Rogen and a side-splitting cameo from Zac Efron, the movie truly belongs to James Franco. As Tommy, Franco truly disappears into the role, so much in fact, with his opening monologue, I didn't see James Franco any longer I saw Tommy. Credit also goes to the younger Franco as Greg, as in the past, I've always thought Dave was just playing himself. Dave Franco fully commits to the role, and I'm interested to see where he goes with his next role.
The Disaster Artist may not be for all tastes, but I enjoyed it. I've always liked the movie-within a movie storytelling aspect. The laughs in the movie are frequent, and the chemistry between the cast is excellent. If you're looking for a break from your standard holiday fare at your local cinema, The Disaster Artist is worth a look.
Final Grade B+