Gather round! Gather round! For a tale must be told about an uncommon thespian who made a film that was certainly “bold”.
Once upon the 1990s, an aspiring actor named Greg was working through a wall, trying to break through to his own talent. Greg’s efforts yield unsuccessful fruit and he finds himself lost until another aspiring performer with an uncommon skillset and a fearless attitude lays it all on the stage!
Greg meets an enigmatic and unconventional character named Tommy, they become friends, they bond over their dream to make it big, move from San Francisco to LA, but it isn’t until every door is slammed in their faces when they conjure up the idea of making their own film. The confines of Tommy’s imagination produces the idea of a film called The Room, the film is somehow put into production and the rest as they say is history. The Disaster Artist is a film that explores the origins and the production of The Room.
Actually, I should say that The Disaster Artist is a love letter to the “unforgettable” Tommy Wiseau and his labor of love of a film that would eventually become a cult classic. It’s also a movie that praises the ideal of following your dreams and never giving up that is also very funny, deep, resonating and delectable from start to finish.
James Franco behind the lens, has crafted a film that is just impossible to look away from. In front of the camera, his immersion into the mind and skin of Tommy Wiseau is utterly magnificent; Franco went to great lengths for his film to pay homage to the people and events that made The Room possible and whenever he is on screen, he is absolutely owning his performance, which not only ranks as one of the best performances of the year but also the best of his entire career!
Credit must also be given to writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. They certainly take great care in adapting Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell’s book and turning into one of the year’s most entertaining and excellently written films.
The cast certainly has a ball in this movie! Dave Franco is excellent as Greg Sestero, Seth Rogen, Jacki Weaver, Ari Graynor, Allison Brie, Paul Scheer, Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson, Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas, Sharon Stone, Hannibal Burress, Melanie Griffith, Bob Odenkirk are all solid and the surprising appearances of Kevin Smith, Keegan Michael-Key, Ike Barinholtz, Kristen Bell, Danny McBride, J.J. Abrams, Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Judd Apatow, Zach Braff, Bryan Cranston; I think the appreciation for The Room really brought in a lot of star power and the enthusiasm of this cast certainly shined through.
Brandon Trost’s cinematography is great, Stacey Schroeder’s editing is crisp and coherent, Dave Porter’s music is excellent, Chris L. Spellman’s production design is fantastic, Rachel Rockstroh’s art direction is good, Susan Lynch’s set decoration is superb, Brenda Abbandandolo’s costumes were on point, the makeup team did an excellent job and overall the quality of this production truly wanted to go for authenticity and I think they nailed it!
The Disaster Artist was probably the most fun I had in a movie theater since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! Bravo to James Franco, who put nothing but love and dedication into every facet of his responsibilities as director and star of this picture which pays homage to a cult classic and the men who made it.
Braxton On Film 