“Oh hi, Mark.”
Anyone even remotely familiar with the film “The Room” (not to be confused with “Room,” an Oscar-winning film) can attest to its place as possibly the best worst film ever made. Teeming with surreally bad dialogue and puzzling performances all around, “The Room” has become a cherished cult classic in recent years, thanks to its sheer ridiculousness. “The Disaster Artist” is a delightful adaptation of Greg Sestero’s memoir of the same name chronicling his experiences in making “The Room.”
I can’t emphasize enough, this is based on a TRUE story. “The Disaster Artist” kicks off in an acting class in the late 90s, as Sestero meets the mysterious enigma that is Tommy Wiseau.
Wiseau, a man of unknown origin or age with a peculiar sense of fashion and a seemingly infinite wallet, quickly bonds with Sestero over a shared love of James Dean. On a whim, the two head to Los Angeles to make it big in Hollywood, and when that doesn’t pan out, they set out to make their own movie, which would come to live in infamy as the “The Room.”
Dave and James Franco star as Sestero and Wiseau, respectively, and I could tell the two had a blast making “The Disaster Artist.” Dave captures the naivety of a maturing young man with aspirations excellently. The gradual realization that he’s in too deep in an escalating disaster is perfectly realized and makes for some great emotional payoffs.
Dave’s grounded character and his chemistry with his brother allow James to go all-out bonkers as Wiseau. It’s a crazy role that perfectly channels the real Wiseau in a hilarious but respectful way. I was surprised how much I ended up empathizing with such a strange man.
With Seth Rogen (who also produced “The Disaster Artist”) as the film within a film’s script supervisor, some great cameos from famous actors fill in for the now-iconic roles in “The Room,” fleshing out the rest of what’s actually a really good cast.
Despite being a comedy about the making of a terrible movie, “The Disaster Artist” is also very full of heart. It would be easy to mock Wiseau’s eccentric mannerisms and call it a day, but Rogen and the Franco brothers go beyond that to make a very touching story about friendship, chasing one’s dreams and ultimately being true to oneself.
I was both tickled and touched.
Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker, fan of “The Room” or just want to have a good time, “The Disaster Artist” is a must-see film.
A
Hector Valverede is a culture reporter with the Daily Lobo. He primarily writes movie reviews. He can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @hpvalverde.
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