james franco is a versatile actor. He has portrayed his serious, dramatic side in the Tobey Maguire-era "Spider-Man" franchise. He has also shown us his comedic chops in "Pineapple Express." This year, Franco is going to wow us with probably one of his best performances to date, starring as Tommy Wiseau in "The Disaster Artist."
A movie about 'the worst movie ever made'
"The Disaster Artist" is about the making of another film called "The Room." The 2003 film has a reputation on the Internet for being "so bad, it's hilarious;" and it eventually achieved cult status.
"The Room" itself was a serious drama directed, penned, and starring Tommy Wiseau. However, Wiseau's vision for his masterpiece was overshadowed by the cheesy dialogue, failed acting, and bad cinematography in general.
James Franco portrays Wiseau, the "Disaster Artist" in this context. It tells the story of how Wiseau formed an unlikely friendship with Greg Sestero.
Both Sestero and Wiseau were struggling actors who wanted to try their luck in Hollywood, to no avail. Eventually, they got the idea that they should be making their own movie instead. This idea would then grow into the duo making "The Room."
So what is 'The Disaster Artist' about, exactly?
"The Disaster Artist" focuses on the journey of making "The Room." In a review by The Verge, it was said that this is mostly delivered in a comedic way.
And of course, we cannot deny that there are moments in "The Room" that are just hilarious, albeit unintentionally.
In the same review, Bryan Bishop writes that "The Disaster Artist" could be more than just a feel-good film centered on what the Internet dubbed as "the worst film ever made."
It could also be about "The power of friendship, and the importance of believing in your dreams, no matter what the world thinks," Bishop writes.
He also adds that what's interesting about "The Disaster Artist" is that it follows the structure of a typical underdog plot. A struggling artist can't make his mark in Hollywood because the powers that be denied him the chance. He decides to make it big on his own — and he does make it big, although not exactly in the way that he intended.
The charm in "The Disaster Artist," as delivered to us by James Franco's amusing performance, is that the underdog story is not entirely justified. In this movie, the Wiseau character is the underdog precisely because he should be the underdog.
However, by some twist of fate, Tommy Wiseau and his efforts in "The Room" paid off. It became a sensation and achieved a status that no other bad movie ever will.
"The Disaster Artist" is scheduled to be released on December 8.
