"The Dean won't come to you. You have to go to the Dean."
Two men stand at the site of James Dean's fatal car crash. One of them has been meaning to visit for years and the other impulsively drives him there as soon as he mentions it. The meaning of the scene couldn't be clearer. If you really want something you have to do something about it.
The rich, eccentric and very mysterious Tommy Wiseau wrote, directed and starred in The Room, a film released in 2003 and one widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made. This film is the story of his complicated friendship with co-star Greg Sestero and of how it all happened.
It's a joy. Mostly. It's a hilarious, bizarre, sincere and oddly touching love letter to the power of self belief. Like the film it's about it's directed by James Franco who also takes the lead role. Franco somehow nails Wiseau's look and mannerisms while making the role his own. It's a hell of a turn. Creepy as feck but also fragile and needy, a man you should be scared of but who you end up feeling sorry for and eventually pleased for. The film lives or dies on this performance and James totally sells it. His Streetcar Named Desire reenactment has to be seen to be believed. And best of all it doesn't make of mockery of anyone. Wiseau is obviously a strange individual but the film doesn't take the piss out of him, well it does a little bit but it's clear the filmmakers have a lot of respect for him.
I've seen people debating whether or not you need to see 'The Room' before this. You don't really but you'll get far more enjoyment out of this if you do. Nods to the film are scattered through. Pizza. Football. The name of Tommy's apartment building in Los Angeles. There's probably dozens more I missed. Without the knowledge and context of the The Room Wiseau might just seem too weird and out there as well. But for me the main reason to watch it is to enjoy the side by side reenactments of scenes at the end of the film. It's a scream to see just how accurate they are.
The Room is amazingly popular in Hollywood so it's no surprise that The Disaster Artist is chockablock with cameos. Actors must have been queueing up for parts. We see Sharon Stone in a 30 second role as a Hollywood agent, Josh Hutcherson in a godawful wig as Denny, Ari Graynor as LISA!!! Seth Rogen as the script supervisor who says the things others dare not say, Zac Efron unrecognisable as Chris R, Bryan Cranston playing himself before Breaking Bad was a thing, Jacki Weaver as an actress who enjoys her work no matter how bad she thinks it is and so on. James Franco's real life brother plays Tommy's best friend and co-star Greg. He's one of my only issues with the film. He's flat and bland and boring. You'd have a hard time understanding what about him attracts Tommy to him. But I suppose beside Tommy everyone would seem flat and boring.
The other is the mystery of Tommy. A big theme of the film is his enigmatic past. Where is he from. Where did he get his bottomless riches? What exactly is he?? Stuff is hinted at but none of it is answered. These are questions I'd hoped would get some kind of answer. But alas no.
Some people might see this as pointless, a big Hollywood in-joke and maybe it is. But it's also a well made and exceedingly well acted film. It's about what you can do when you set your mind to it. To quote Field Of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come." And come they still do.
I've seen people debating whether or not you need to see 'The Room' before this. You don't really but you'll get far more enjoyment out of this if you do. Nods to the film are scattered through. Pizza. Football. The name of Tommy's apartment building in Los Angeles. There's probably dozens more I missed. Without the knowledge and context of the The Room Wiseau might just seem too weird and out there as well. But for me the main reason to watch it is to enjoy the side by side reenactments of scenes at the end of the film. It's a scream to see just how accurate they are.
The Room is amazingly popular in Hollywood so it's no surprise that The Disaster Artist is chockablock with cameos. Actors must have been queueing up for parts. We see Sharon Stone in a 30 second role as a Hollywood agent, Josh Hutcherson in a godawful wig as Denny, Ari Graynor as LISA!!! Seth Rogen as the script supervisor who says the things others dare not say, Zac Efron unrecognisable as Chris R, Bryan Cranston playing himself before Breaking Bad was a thing, Jacki Weaver as an actress who enjoys her work no matter how bad she thinks it is and so on. James Franco's real life brother plays Tommy's best friend and co-star Greg. He's one of my only issues with the film. He's flat and bland and boring. You'd have a hard time understanding what about him attracts Tommy to him. But I suppose beside Tommy everyone would seem flat and boring.
The other is the mystery of Tommy. A big theme of the film is his enigmatic past. Where is he from. Where did he get his bottomless riches? What exactly is he?? Stuff is hinted at but none of it is answered. These are questions I'd hoped would get some kind of answer. But alas no.
Some people might see this as pointless, a big Hollywood in-joke and maybe it is. But it's also a well made and exceedingly well acted film. It's about what you can do when you set your mind to it. To quote Field Of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come." And come they still do.
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