There are good movies. There are bad movies. And then there's The Room. A movie so unbelievably bad, that it is practically a masterpiece. It's a movie that gets everything wrong: Directing, acting, dialogue, writing, lighting, costumes, etc. Everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. And yet it is so endlessly fascinating and entertaining to watch.
If you spend your free time watching movie review shows like Nostalgia Critic or Honest Trailers, there's a good chance you've heard of this gem. Written by, directed by, produced by, and starring Tommy Wiseau, The Room is a romantic drama in the style of Tennessee Williams. It tells the story of a man whose girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend. And there's football involved. For some reason...
It's one of those movies you can't really describe. You just have to watch it for yourself.
So much has been said about The Room. There's even been a book about the making of it written by Greg Sestero, one of the actors in the film. The book was recently adapted in a movie directed by and starring James Franco as the mysterious Tommy Wiseau.
The Disaster Artist tells the story of a young acting school student named Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) who dreams of becoming an actor in movies. One day in his acting class, he meets an eccentric classmate named Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) who has the same dream as him. They both move to Los Angeles together to get agents. But after they are turned down numerous times, they decide to make and star in their own movie together. And that is how The Room came to be. Tommy Wiseau writes the entire screenplay himself, and asks his friend Greg to co-star in it with him. Greg agrees, and they both assemble a cast and crew to make Wiseau's strange vision to life. Will they succeed?
Because this is based on a true story, we all know the answer. They do not succeed. They fail... Spectacularly.
Dave Franco is also really likable as Greg Serestro, who plays Mark in The Room. He is such a loyal friend to Tommy Wiseau, even when it is difficult for him. He tries to help his friend get his movie made no matter how challenging it is. It's such a special, genuine friendship they have, and you really feel for them. And the fact that it's about a real-life friendship makes it even more heart warming.
The entire cast is great. Seth Rogen is hilarious as Sandy Schklair, the script supervisor of The Room. There are also a ton of cameos in this film, including interviews with celebrity fans at the beginning, that I will not spoil.
What I love the most about The Disaster Artist is its message. The film teaches the importance of following your dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may seem. Tommy Wiseau had a dream of becoming a writer, director, and actor in Hollywood. Because he couldn't work in Hollywood, he decided to make his own movie. And even though it didn't turn out the way he wanted it to, it brought joy to so many people. And it still does. Even to this day, midnight screenings for it at the Rocky Horror Picture Show theater sell out. Not a lot of filmmakers can brag about making movies that are still that popular, even after a decade. In fact, not many people can brag about getting a movie made, period. Hollywood is such a tough, cut-throat business full of rejection. There are so few people that are willing to take such a huge risk to put themselves out there like that. Not a lot of people are willing to put up with it, and yet Tommy Wiseau did. He set out to make a movie, and he did it! And he's proud he did. Even to this day.
In a time where the News is full of cynicism, we need people like Tommy Wiseau, and the message of The Disaster Artist, more than ever. The message that it does not matter what the world thinks of you. It doesn't matter how many people laugh at you or insult you. The important thing is to find what makes you happy, and go for it. There are not a lot of people brave enough to put themselves out there like that. Tommy Wiseau is.
What a story Mark! What a story indeed!
No comments:
Post a Comment