Review: The Disaster Artist (2017)
This film dares to be meta all while simultaneously achieving commentary on the state of amateur filmmaking . Of course, this film acts as a comedy, among many things, and succeeds at that. However, The Disaster Artist at it's core is a heartwarming story
+ Recommended - R, Comedy, Biography
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Tommy Wiseau is a true American hero; all he wants is to be understood.
While in an acting class, a young and shy Greg Sestero meets Tommy. Both of these men are aspiring actors, but it seems that they can't quite get to the level of star power they desire. Soon after, Greg becomes close friends with Tommy and the two move from San Francisco to an apartment Tommy owns in L.A. for a shot at fame. Thus, The Room, a 2003 cult classic directed by Tommy Wiseau, was born.
It's amazing how much care went into creating this project. For those who don't know, The Disaster Artist is based on the biographical book about the making of The Room. In order to understand The Disaster Artist, you will need to see or at least know of The Room. Everything from the script to the camera work let the audience soak into the world of Tommy, and it is his world. James Franco directs and stars as Tommy and does a fantastic job at recreating his unique mannerisms and accent.
Dave Franco shares the screen alongside his brother, playing actor Greg Sestero. At first, you might only look at the Franco brothers as just that, but Dave happens to be the perfect fit to portray Greg, who is trying to navigate Hollywood at such a young age. Eventually, you see past the brotherly duo as it becomes a character study of Tommy and Greg; real human behavior. Seth Rogen exceptionally portrays The Room's script supervisor, Sandy, who carelessly watches as the production spirals out of control.
While watching this film, I couldn't help but want to watch The Room and compare the two. If you stay until the end of the film there might be a surprise waiting for you. This film dares to be meta all while simultaneously achieving commentary on the state of amateur filmmaking . Of course, this film acts as a comedy, among many things, and succeeds at that. However, The Disaster Artist at it's core is a heartwarming story about friendship and loyalty.