written by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Quick rundown for those not in the know: In 2003, an enigmatic weirdo named Tommy Wiseau released his directorial debut, a strange, inept drama titled The Room, in which an obvious director surrogate - of course played by Wiseau himself - has his life fall apart as everyone he knows "betrays" him. The film, which played in an extremely limited run, was soon the target of mockery, and gained a sizable cult following over the years in large part due to internet popularity and ironic midnight screenings. Ten years later, actor Greg Sestero, who played a key role in Wiseau's film, collaborated with a journalist on a memoir regarding the production of the film, featuring numerous stranger-than-fiction details, and now we're here, with a film adaptation.
When The Disaster Artist works best, it's emphasizing Wiseau's secretive past and the surrealism of the filming process, and much of its humour comes from the astonishing strangeness of its real story. It's filled with great performances and some fairly solid comedic timing, and particularly in its energetic second half, the film is genuinely riveting. But Franco and his writers have no perspective on Wiseau, and despite emphasizing many of the dark edges in this real-world story, the film settles on an upbeat, self-congratulatory tone which at once feels like a mismatch for the material and like bland self-congratulation. The Disaster Artist, as entertaining as it can be, only occasionally recognizes the real value in this story, and its ultimate positivity feels undeserved.
