The Disaster Artist: The worst movie ever and how it happened

Tweet

“I did not hit her, it’s not true! It’s bullsh*t! I did not hit her! I did not! Oh hi, Mark.” – One of the most unforgettable lines in cinema history. The Room, arguably known to be one of the best worst movies ever made, is undeniably an infamous phenomenon. If you have seen The Room in theatres, you know people do crazy shenanigans such as throwing plastic spoons on the screen, passing each other a football and yelling out the most memorable lines from the film. While the director Tommy Wiseau considers it as an intentional black comedy, many people still have fun with its terrible acting and script. Greg Sestero, known for playing Mark in The Room, wrote a book based around his experience of filming the movie called The Disaster Artist. James Franco decided to direct a film adaptation of the book and play Tommy Wiseau, while his brother Dave Franco portrays Greg.

Before making The Room, the film begins by telling the story of both Tommy and Greg wanting to be successful actors in Los Angeles. Frustrated and tired of being rejected by many talent agents and not being offered many gigs, Wiseau decides to make his own film. He spends many years writing his own script and presents this seemingly ‘great’ film to Greg, and they go on with the project. With no filmmaking skills whatsoever, what can go wrong for Tommy?

While the film features a great comedic cast of actors such as Seth Rogen and Paul Scheer, it still manages to balance both the drama and the humour. When it needs to be comedic, it’s hilarious. When it needs to be serious, it’s actually quite dramatic. The Disaster Artist can be an inspiration to some movies out there that completely fail as comedy-dramas.

Let’s get this out of the way, James Franco gives one of the best acting performances in his entire career. He’s able to embody the struggle and desire of Wiseau while still not going overboard with his mysterious accent. It must have been difficult for Franco staying in character while directing The Disaster Artist. Tommy might not have been a fun person to work with, but it’s still interesting to see him develop his passion as the movie goes on. Even if they’re brothers in real life, James and Dave showcase a believable friendship with each other. The film focuses more on Greg since he’s the author of the book, yet it’s still able to make the audience care about both of these people. They both share annoyance with Hollywood rejecting them, so ultimately it becomes a touching and heartwarming story about friendship and never giving up.

In the end, you don’t really need to see The Room in order to appreciate The Disaster Artist. If you did, you will enjoy all the fun references. James Franco’s performance alone is worth the price of admission. It’s not only the funniest movie I have seen this year, it’s also one of the most inspiring and heart-warming films of 2017. By the way, stay till the end of the movie. You will thank me later.

The Disaster Artist in now playing in theatres.