By Mac Spain
The Disaster Artist is directed by, produced by and starring James Franco alongside his brother Dave Franco. And it tells the story of this larger than life character who you may very well have heard of before… Tommy Wiseau.
Now Tommy Wiseau made a film called ‘The Room’ which at the time was panned by critics and audiences alike, but in recent years it seems to have developed something of a cult following and is now arguably one of the greatest so bad it’s good movies of all time! I have to admit the first trailer I saw for The Disaster Artist, I was sceptical to say the least. To me, it just looked like it was going to be James Franco and his buddies coasting by on references and dodgy impersonations.
Having now seen the film in full I stand corrected, it was an absolute joy to watch filled with moments that were nothing short of being genuinely hilarious. While the film does, of course, make references aplenty, it’s all in good taste. James Franco’s portrayal of Wiseau is an amusing caricature, but thankfully it never feels like he’s just trying to drag Wiseau further down the rabbit hole. The film itself and Franco’s portrayal successfully manages to capture the more endearing qualities of when Wiseau set out to make ‘The Room’. He literally came from nothing financing the entire project himself. Armed only with his newfound friend Greg Sestero, an unrelenting drive to make something special and a bottomless pit of money – Because it’s amazing how far that’ll get you!
But Tommy Wiseau himself has actually praised the film and its attention to detail when it comes to the accuracy of its storytelling. That’s no easy task when the man just seems to shroud himself in mystery at any given opportunity. By that I mean he’s never once publicly given his age, birthplace or the reason for him swimming in money for that matter. So to make a film this good when there’s no way of finding out key information is no small feat.
I don’t think it’s going to be cleaning up at the awards, but what we have here is the perfect film to sit and watch with your friends and perhaps even open a few beers. The Disaster Artist features some terrific performances most notably from James Franco himself, it’s probably one of the most enjoyable comedies I’ve seen in a while. A comedy with a real beating heart at the centre of it all and if you happen to see it at the cinema then be sure to stick around for an after credits scene. 7.5/10
