FILM REVIEW: THE DISASTER ARTIST (15)

One of the best films of the year about one of the worst films ever.

A few years back, someone said to me, “You’ve not seen Tommy Wiseau’s ‘The Room’? You call yourself a film buff?”  After a simple search online, it was clear that many considered it to be one of the worst films ever made – with most watching it for the experience. I immediately purchased it to see what all the fuss was about.

The self-funded unintentionally funny flick saw Wiseau write, direct, produce and star. It seems ironic that when James Franco chose to tell the story of the making of ‘The Room’, he also decided to write, direct, produce and star. Talk about tempting fate. Luckily, what we have here is a much better film.

The Disaster Artist is based on a book titled ‘The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Film Ever Made,’ which was written by Greg Sestero (who plays Mark in the original film). It tells the true story of two wannabe filmmakers, Sestero and Wiseau, becoming unlikely friends after meeting at a San Francisco acting class. After failing to hit the big time, they decide to make their own movie.

Why do so many people consider ‘The Room’ to be so bad? And how did it become the cult hit it is today? You’ll have to watch The Disaster Artist to find out.

Franco was right to cast himself in the movie. Many actors would have portrayed the main character as a fool – someone to be laughed at – but instead, Franco captures his endearing and loving side. When ‘The Room’ didn’t become the film Wiseau had hope it would be, the filmmaker was heartbroken. Franco can show us this array of emotions perfectly – which can’t have been an easy task knowing what a closed book Wiseau is in real life.

There are of course many nods to ‘The Room’ which fans will appreciate, but The Disaster Artist works regardless of whether or not you’ve seen the source material.

I highly recommend you watch both.

Mikey Clarke [youtube id=”sPSJYXi7BWA” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Genre: Biopic, Drama & Comedy

Running Time: 1hr 44mins

Directed by: James Franco

Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, Alison Brie & Zac Efron

See The Disaster Artistand much more at Showcase Cinema, Peterborough. Visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for the latest up-to-date show times. You can also join the chat on Twitter @showcasecinemas or on Facebook by searching for ‘Showcase Cinemas UK’