Saturday, February 24, 2018

The Disaster Artist - 9 stars out of 10

The Disaster Artist - 9 stars out of 10

“The Disaster Artist” is the funniest movie of 2017 (slightly edging out “The Big Sick”).  It is a tongue-in-cheek look at the production of ne’er-do-well Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room,” a movie considered by many to be the worst of all time.  The film’s tone is established in an introduction with several Hollywood notables sharing their memories of “The Room.”  Regardless of if you have seen the epically bad film within this film, you will be laughing out loud at the cluelessness, odd accent, and unexplained wealth of the main character.  The key to the film is its script that brings the bizarre world of Tommy to life.  I’ve found myself saying the same thing about every R-rated movie this year: the script (my pick for Best Adapted Screenplay) would have been so much better without the endless stream of unnecessary f-words.  I don’t think that there was a single moment in the film that required the use of an f-word to make it funnier than it would have been with any other word.  Profanity aside, this script is hysterical.  Wiseau’s odd characteristics have become iconic throughout the film industry and James Franco plays them to perfection.  However, Franco was snubbed of an Oscar nomination (weeks after winning a Golden Globe) amidst unsubstantiated allegations of sexual misconduct.  This has brought us to a turning point in the film industry where they are going to have to start being consistent on whether they are giving awards based on an actor/filmmaker’s onscreen performance or their off-screen behavior.  I understand that Harvey Weinstein has given Hollywood a black eye and that the entire industry has launched into damage control, but it’s hard to accept that they have robbed Franco of an Oscar nomination less than a year after Casey Affleck won the award with an inferior performance and substantiated accusations.  I’m okay if we stop rewarding immoral Hollywood bigwigs, but I don’t know that it is fair to pass judgement before there is evidence to back the accusations.  End rant, back to Franco.  He has offered his best performance since “127 Hours,” this time embracing his natural sense of comedy and playing Wiseau so accurately that you’ll forget that it is Franco.  He makes the character endearing and obnoxious at the same time, fully committing to the role (as you will see with his graphic nude scene that we all wish would have been toned down quite a bit).  The Oscar snub is a shame as he is the only actor who could have taken on Gary Oldman in the Best Actor category this year and I wish I could’ve seen that battle between comedy vs. drama play out.  One of the greatest aspects of this film is the natural chemistry between the Franco brothers.  Dave seems so natural poking fun at his brother and they create the perfect frenemy dynamic as Tommy and Greg.  I also loved Seth Rogan as the exasperated director who is trying to hold the chaotic production together (so that the paychecks will continue to roll in) and Zac Efron as Chris R. (not just “Chris,” he has to be referred to as “Chris R.”).  These actors are complimented by cameos from Bryan Cranston, Sharon Stone, Bob Odenkirk, and a large handful more.  The highlight of the film is the pre-credits side-by-side recreation of several of the worst scenes from “The Room,” including the game of catch in tuxes, random breast cancer line, and the infamous “Oh, hi Mark” moment.  “The Disaster Artist” is sure to have you in stitches, especially if you have seen “The Room” and always wanted to know how such a terrible movie could come to fruition.

[Pictured: Regardless of if you have seen "The Room," the story behind its creation and the world inside of Tommy Wiseau's head is so unbelievable that you will love this film.  Oh, hi Mark.]

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