One of the finest movies of 2017 should be one of the most sought-after home video releases of 2018. The Disaster Artist, what with its look at the making of the so-called “Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made,” is just the film that should live on for forever being played over and over and over, with each viewing providing another chance to delve deeper into James Franco’s stroke of brilliance.
Tommy Wiseau was an Hollywood outsider. In fact, when he first thought of pursuing his movie dreams, he wasn’t even in Los Angeles. Greg Sestero and Wiseau met in an acting class and immediately bonding over a shared comradery centered on the art of acting and storytelling. They decide to head south and make a go at the dream in La La Land. When they arrive, they find that their dreams are more elusive than it seems they thought. With little hope of anything happening, they hatch an idea. If they can’t become part of the movie making world, why not make their own movie?
Wiseau had money (and we still do not know where it came from!) and decided to devote a large chunk of it to make his “screenplay” for The Room come to life. He hired actors (putting himself and Sestero in the leads, of course), a crew and scouted locations. Before too long, they were a working film set… living the dream.
Only thing was this was unlike any other moviemaking experience any of the professionals on the set had ever experienced. By the time they were done, they had crafted what would become one of the most beloved cult favorites, a midnight movie-going public adoring, classic.
It was also the subject of a bestselling book, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, penned by Sestero and Tom Bissell. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber adapted the work and brought it to the screen. With Franco directing himself, his brother and a cast that includes Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Josh Hutcherson, Paul Scheer, Zac Efron, Megan Mullally and a myriad of brilliant cameos, the work shines brilliantly as an equal part ode to dream achieving of the highest order and yes, a chronicle of a disaster of the highest order.
As we stated in our theatrical The Disaster Artist review (check it out as I delve deeper into the masterpiece that is the film), there is something innocently mesmerizing about the work. It is a salute to all who dream and dream big and fear not the falling on one’s face aspect that is inherent to any herculean effort.
The cast is top notch, particularly James Franco. The director of the film turns in one of his best, if not the best, performances of his entire career. His brother Dave also shines and truly gets an emotional spectrum worthy of his vast talents and showcases much more of his actor’s toolbox than he has previously been able to exhibit. Rogen has a blast as an utterly baffled member of the crew, who continues to cash Wiseau’s checks, despite having grave reservations about the quality – and frankly mentality – of the film they are making.
Top to bottom, this is a celebration of the movies and those who seek to become a part of that magical world. It is strangely inspiring. Sure, Wiseau had tons of money and a large majority of us who dream of wielding a camera and capturing stories that compel, entertain and enlighten do not. But, at its core The Disaster Artist isn’t about privilege and mortgaging that to achieve one’s dreams. It is firmly about getting in one’s head, finding one’s truth and doing everything possible to see that through to a glorious fruition.
For a film that is so Meta in so many ways, the bonus features should thrill longtime fans of The Room as well as those who are new to the crazy (brilliant?) world of Wiseau.
Rarely do we start our look at the featurettes with the audio commentary track. But, given how this film wasn’t simply a vision of James Franco’s, it is fitting that the commentary features both Franco brothers, Wiseau, Sestero and screenwriters Weber and Neustadter. It is wildly enjoyable and wickedly hilarious at times as well as being wickedly informative into the movie magic/madness that is The Room and Franco’s love letter to its artistic gestation and birth.
One also gets to hear first-hand (also with the after credits scene of the film itself – don’t miss it!), that Franco’s take on Wiseau’s unique dialect is pure gold. The man really talks like all the time! Your guess is as good as anyone else who knows the man to try to determine its origin!
Expectations for a making-of featurette puts the viewer in a unique position. See, the film itself is a making-of for The Room. So, there is a myriad of wild moments in the Oh, Hi Mark: Making of a Disaster. It is a play-by-play behind-the-scenes look at the making of Franco’s film and gives us some great interviews with the cast, take particular note of Dave Franco’s input. See, as the brother of the man behind the making of this masterpiece, it is an education in fraternal pride meets insane insight into moviemaking magic.
Speaking of James Franco’s incredible job making this movie, Directing a Disaster is a too-short (for us, at least) look at how the elder Franco brother got this thing off the ground, filmed, edited and out to the world. The man himself chimes in, but the most fascinating insight into his directorial talents come from his cast. We wish this was a bit longer, it is just that enjoyable.
Last, but by no means least, the man whose dreams launched this entire affair, Wiseau, gets his close-up with Just a Guy Leaning on a Wall: Getting to Know Tommy. Yes, the big guy gets to add his two cents and it is priceless, but we also get to hear from more cinephiles about the influence and crazy champion of dreamers.
After witnessing The Disaster Artist and its chronicle of all those people who took Wiseau’s dream and made it a reality, I am moved. It is a collective dream. All those who worked on The Room, and The Disaster Artist for that matter, shared the sunglass-wearing wizard’s aspirations. So, is it strange that I’m reminded of a John Lennon quote of all things after viewing this Blu-Ray? “You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.”
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: B+