The Disaster Artist, starring James and Dave Franco, is a movie with many, many layers. It is a film based on a book of the same title which is based on the making of a different film, called The Room. If that sounds familiar to you, it’s because The Room has a massive cult following and is widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made.
You don’t need to have seen The Room to appreciate The Disaster Artist as a piece of cinema, but it certainly helps. The director and writers packed the film with countless references to the events of the film, going as far to remake the most iconic scenes shot for shot and showing those scenes side by side with the original source footage. It’s especially fun to see how the cast and crew reacted some of the more outlandish things that happened on the set.
Part of what give The Disaster Artist its charm is that it is absolutely stacked with comedy veterans. Pretty much every role is filled by someone who is hilarious and recognizable, including James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan, Paul Sheer, Nathan Fielder, Jason Mantzoukas, Alison Brie, Hannibal Burress, Sharon Stone, June Diane Raphael, and Zac Efron among many, many others.
James Franco, in particular, gives an amazing performance as Tommy Wiseau, the enigmatic writer, director, producer, and star of the film equivalent of The Titanic. For the uninitiated, Tommy Wiseau is a bizarre character that in all likelihood may be an alien sent from outer space to document humanity, as he has a very… distinct look and way of talking and refuses to disclose where he comes from or how old he is. James Franco clearly put in hours of work as he captures Wiseau’s unique way of speaking and carrying himself.
Overall, The Disaster Artist is really a love letter to all of the fans of The Room and a completely solid movie in its own right. Will it sweep the Academy Awards? Probably not, but it’s safe to say that this movie has solidified itself in the annals of comedy history due to its stellar cast and faithful depiction of the subject matter. This movie cannot be recommended highly enough.