Review of The Disaster Artist (2017) by Marcel A — 13 Dec 2017

Chronicling the making of would-be Hollywood mogul Tommy Wiseau's cult classic 'The Room' (deemed by many cinephiles as one of the worst movies ever made), this engaging comedy makes a strong case for James Franco's future in the director's chair.

Not that this tireless Oscar-nominee is a novice behind the camera; with over a dozen directing credits already under his belt (often pulling double-duty as his films' lead actor), he's ideally suited to capture the Herculean task of producing a small-budget movie, and his latest project is an often hilarious peek behind the curtain.

Wiseau himself, however, proves a far more elusive subject to nail down, and although Franco manages to make him a likeable enough protagonist, the mysteries that continue to surround the real-life Wiseau leave too many blanks in his backstory, preventing us from fully investing in his journey.

Still, there is much to like about here, including a top-notch supporting cast led by David Franco (James' own brother) as the young would-be actor who follows Wiseau to Los Angeles and becomes the eccentric filmmaker's muse.

Spinning straw into comedy gold, THE DISASTER ARTIST is easily the season's funniest movie.