Review: The Disaster Artist / Ed

This is how you take a tragic tale and make it into a masterpiece of hope.

The Disaster Artist is the heartbreaking true story of how mysterious wanna-be actor Tommy Wiseau wrote, produced (at a cost of US $6 million) and directed arguably the worst film ever made – cult classic The Room.

I’m a huge fan of The Room, and now that I know the story of how that mess of a film was made, I think I’m an even bigger fan.

James Franco bought the rights to the original book The Disaster Artist, and the result is a sad yet beautiful screenplay that captures the heart and comedy of this unusual story about friendship and epic failure.

I went into The Disaster Artist not expecting to be moved in any way, but boy was I wrong – the overwhelming message of the film is one of hope. Franco has delivered a hilarious and captivating film that really shows the passion that went into The Room, and how it was built off an unlikely friendship between Tommy Wisseau and Greg Sestero. It’s not at all what I was expecting, but I’m so glad it’s what I got.

James Franco delivers an excellent portrayal of Tommy Wisseau, while his brother Dave Franco is spot-on as Greg Sestero. They’re assisted by a who’s who of American comedy stars, including Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson and Alison Brie.

While the cinematography and score weren’t especially memorable, all other aspects of The Disaster Artist were stunning: there’s humour and heart packed into every single moment of this unique film.

Written by Ed (16) edited by Nick Jarvis (as part of the Film in Revolt writing mentorship program)