The Disaster Artist (2017) User Reviews

Pretty great

[Anttell · 8/10 · 24 October 2018]

First up, I haven't seen the Room (2003), but of course have heard a lot about it through the years, a friend of mine is a huge fan who takes part in fan screenings and carries bunch of footballs into them...

The Disaster Artist portrays Tommy Wiseau as a true enigma, which he no doubt is, he does things in his own "a bit" peculiar way. We also get to see a person with a big heart and a person in need for a true friend. There's some cheesiness towards the end of the film (not intentional, even if it's about making of the Room), but I enjoyed the movie a lot for it's heart and for the constant laughs it offers. James Franco is great as Tommy, it's so easy to ham this kind of an over the top transformation up, but that's not the case here. A really enjoyable flick.

Rating: 8/10

Not a Mockery, It's a Celebration of Two Men Pursuing Their Dream

[Jared_Andrews · 8/10 · 24 December 2017]

Going into the theater, I was under the impression that this was a silly James Franco and Seth Rogen movie that made fun of The Room, a legendary bad movie. That's not what the Disaster Artist is at all. Instead, it celebrates The Room. It celebrates Tommy Wiseau, Greg Sestero, their passion, and their pursuit of a dream.

Sure, The Disaster Artist comments on how The Room bombed terribly; it had to acknowledge this. It comments on the utter lack of acting talent that Tommy and Greg possessed; it had to acknowledge this too. But it handles these details with such delicacy and care that I never felt that it was putting down the characters. Actually, it seemed that the film admired them. Even when the world told them to quit, they never gave up on themselves or each other. The message is surprisingly inspiring.

The movie becomes something more than mere mockery because of the way it handles the relationship between Tommy and Greg with such care and affection. The two genuinely liked each other and saw each other in ways that no one else did. Greg certainly did not understand all of Tommy's methods and decisions, but he understood Tommy's good intentions. Establishing this buddy connection is crucial later in the movie.

After Tommy writes The Room and they begin filming, Tommy expresses his idiosyncrasies in full force. While the film crew sees him as a confusing weirdo, we know there's something more. Despite his utter incompetence in directing and acting and all aspects of filmmaking, we still root him. And we still root for Greg, ever the supportive friend. Tommy makes absurd and confounding choices that don't make sense to Greg and they don't make sense to anyone else either. Even one of Tommy's explanations was simply "people do crazy things." Still, Greg remains loyal.

With as strange as Wiseau behaves, capturing his eccentricities would clearly prove challenging. Give James Franco credit for capturing Wiseau's weirdness in character without ever devolving into derisive mockery. Franco captures his gait, stiff shoulders, hunched posture, indeterminable and inconsistent accent, and his laugh. Watching The Room and hearing Tommy Wiseau laugh, I thought that it sounded completely fake. I chalked it up to another instance of poor acting. But after seeing Wiseau in interviews, I realized that it was his real laugh. To him, the laugh wasn't poor acting because that's what he thinks a genuine laugh sounds like.

Seeing and hearing Wiseau behaving as himself explains a lot about his behavior in The Room. He's just an interesting and very unusual guy. His acting and the acting of others in his movie is still atrocious, but it shifts from startlingly and confusingly bad to understandably bad. And more importantly, seeing the real Tommy makes his movie all the more fun.

You don't need to see The Room to enjoy The Disaster Artist. Would it help? Sure. Seeing The Room first makes many of the inside jokes made in The Disaster Artist funnier and gives a clearer sense of how confoundingly weird the movie truly is. Words cannot do it justice. To understand, you have to see The Room for yourself. I recommend seeing both.

Strange-but-true comedy

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 17 September 2020]

Struggling would-be actor Greg (Dave Franco) meets bizarre, mysterious Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) in an acting class, and the two develop an awkward friendship. The eccentric Tommy offers to move to Los Angeles with Greg to kick start their careers, but once there they find little success. However, one day they decide that, if Hollywood won't work with them, they'll just make their own movie, which leads to the production of one of the worst movies of all time, The Room.

The Room slowly developed a cult following after it's very limited release in 2003. By the end of the decade, it had become a cult item on par with Rocky Horror Picture Show, with raucous midnight screenings and the audience reciting dialogue along with the film. The real Greg Sistero, friend and sometime roommate of Tommy Wiseau, wrote a book about the making of the movie, and this film is an adaptation of that book, so it's told from Greg's point of view. The real Wiseau is a very odd, almost cartoonish figure, and James Franco does a terrific job of portraying him, from his bizarre nightclub-vampire look to his indefinable accent. James' real-life brother Dave Franco plays Greg, and he's a bit weaker, but maybe so is Greg. The rest of the cast is rounded out by many familiar faces from the comedy world of the past decade and a half or so, with a few surprises (Is that Sharon Stone and Melanie Griffith?). I have grown to love The Room for the "hilariocity" it is, and thus my appreciation of this behind-the-scenes look at its making may be greater than those who have not or who fail to see that colossal failure's charm. I found this movie funny and endearing. One of that year's best and look ma, no CGI.

Franco Makes the Film Worth Watching

[Michael_Elliott · 15 March 2018]

The Disaster Artist (2017)

*** (out of 4)

Greg (Dave Franco) is a wannabe acting taking part in an acting course when he meets a bizarre man named Tommy (James Franco). Tommy talks the young man into moving to Los Angeles where the two can hopefully live their dreams of becoming actors but things don't work as planned so Tommy comes up with the idea of making his own movie.

James Franco produced, directed as stars as Tommy Wiseau and it's easy to see why he would be so involved with the film. I mean, THE ROOM is just one of those movies that once you see you can never forget it. There are great movies that you watch that you'll never forget but THE ROOM is something completely different. Some have called it one of the worst movies ever made but it is a cult item and it continues to live on whereas some of the "good" movies that were made at the same time have been forgotten.

THE DISASTER ARTIST is a rather interesting film on a number of levels. It does work as a documentary look at the making of the film as well as the relationship between Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau but at the same time you learn very little about the man behind the camera. This is actually joked about throughout this movie and to me the film worked best as an acting showcase for James Franco. There's no question that his performance is the reason to watch this movie as he goes all in as the bizarre Wiseau.

What I enjoyed most about the film is that Franco perfectly nails the speech of Wiseau but he also doesn't just mimic the real person but instead delivers a full and rich performance. The actor really is believable in the role and so much so that you can actually believe that you're watching the real Wiseau and not just an actor playing him. Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Jacki Weaver and Seth Rogen all turn in nice supporting performances but there's no doubt that it's Franco who steals the picture.

In all honesty, I'm not sure how much interest this film will have to people who aren't already familiar with THE ROOM. I'd personally recommend that you watch that film before getting into this one. For the most part I thought Franco, the director, did a good job at showing the craziness behind the scenes and how it all ended up on the screen. We might not learn a lot about the character but we at least get an idea of the madness that it took to create THE ROOM.

"I Do Not Choose To Be a Common Man"

[paul-allaer · 7/10 · 9 December 2017]

"The Disaster Artist" (2017 release; 103 min.) brings the real-life story of how the 2003 cult movie "The Room" got made. As the movie opens, a number of current day movie stars, including Kirsten Bell, Adam Scott. J.J. Abrams and others gush about the virtues of this "so bad, that it's so good" movie. We then shift to "San Francisco, July 13, 1998" when Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero meet at an acting class and strike up a friendship. Later that year, they decide on w him to move to Los Angeles, where Tommy somehow has kept an apartment. Tommy and Greg pursue their dream of becoming an actor (inspired by James Dean, among others), but when it's becoming clear that nobody wants to do anything with them, they decide to make their own film... At this point, we are 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie is a labor of love primarily by James Franco, who directs, co-produces, and stars as Tommy. His brother Dave co-stars as Greg. The real life story is so beyond anything believable that if this were a work of fiction, it would immediately be dismissed as just that. Let me state upfront that I have not seen "The Room" (although I see it frequently listed as a midnight listing at my local art-house theater). From everything we witness in "The Disaster Artist", Tommy is so incredibly inapt yet convinced of his own talent, it reminds me of those American Idol auditions back in the day where certain contestants think they are super good yet they were horrible. Another similarity is the Meryl Streep movie "Florence Foster Jenkins" (about a real life wealthy NY socialite who thinks she sings well and nobody dares to contradict her, leading to a notorious Carnegie Hall concert). James Franco does an outstanding job in the lead role, and I'm going to predict that he will get a number of nominations in the upcoming awards season. It isn't until the very end of the movie (when scenes from the original "The Room" are played in parallel with the recreated scenes for "The Disaster Artist") that one gets a sense how incredibly meticulous Franco has been in recreating them down to the last detail. Absolutely amazing. Last but certainly not least, the movie features a bunch of other well-known performers, some of them in very noticeable roles (such as Seth Rogen and Alison Brie), and others in "blink and you'll miss it" roles (such as Sharon Stone, Zoey Deutch, Zac Efron, etc.). In an early scene of the movie, when Tommy and Greg become unlikely friends, they head over to Tommy's place, and Greg notices a prominent sign on the apartment's wall: "I Do Not Choose To Be a Common Man". Whatever you think of Tommy, he certainly is not your "common man"!

"The Disaster Artist" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati on not one, but two screens (a rarity). The Friday evening screening where i saw this at was attended very nicely, I;'m happy to report. The audience roared with laughter on many occasions. The positive word-of-mouth this movie surely will generate makes it likely to have long legs at the box office (at least within the art-house theater circuit). If you are in the mood for something truly different, I encourage you to check out "The Disaster Artist", be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

James Franco breaks new ground

[danielledecolombie · 8/10 · 8 December 2017]

Ed Wood was Stanley Kubrick compared to Tommy Wiseau but James Franco treats him with such loving care that we can connect with his humanity without letting his eccentricities pull us away from him. That, I think, was the most moving aspect of this outrageous true life tale. James Franco is spectacular keeping it true and real in a character that lent itself for caricature. Dave Franco, James's brother in real life is the most believable instant soulmate of the James Dean wannabe. Seth Rogen is also perfect as the one knows that they're in for a major disaster and yet sees the whole thing to the bitter end. I must confess I hadn't heard of The Room but now it's on top of my list of films I want to see next.

Hollow

[Joetampa90 · 6/10 · 17 December 2017]

There was an odd buzz surrounding this film, that in my opinion was totally unmerited. It just scratches the surface of the story and embellishes some things. I'm someone who is not a fan of The Room because, well it's really bad. That being said I really wanted to see what Franco had to offer here as far as unpacking what the hell caused the debacle of a film. Really Disaster Artist was an empty look and borders on biography and parody. I found the end to be very very overdone and from what I know, entirely fabricated.

Franco is Fantastic

[WooderIce64 · 9/10 · 9 December 2019]

It's quite ironic that one of the movies most talked about in award season would be the story of the making of The Room, widely considered to be one of the worst films ever. I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed, but I've actually seen The Room. It's terrible, it really is, but it's also kind of... good, in a way. Some of the worst lines (Among them "I did not hit her," "You're tearing me apart, Lisa," and that weird chicken scene) are very quotable and super easy to mock, but there's an undeniable passion put into it. The Disaster Artist, on the other hand, is about the man behind the movie, the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau. James Franco's portrayal of Tommy is one of the best of the decade. The way he nails Tommy's quirks, unusual mannerisms, his odd way of speaking, and that distinctive hair he had going is astounding. I didn't see James Franco. I saw Tommy Wiseau playing himself, in a movie about himself. Tommy is an interesting character, in the movie and in real life, because despite living in the age of the Internet, very little is actually known about him. But despite being a complete stranger to the whole world, he goes and makes himself known, and follows his dream of making a movie. Even though he's sometimes hostile toward others, he has his dream and sets on it, and not giving up on making the movie. It made The Room seem like a movie within a movie, that this was the real deal. Aside from the performance, Greg is an interesting protagonist, and his relationship with Tommy is well developed. The story is balanced in a way where the audience sees the perspectives of both Tommy and Greg, and how the perceptions of The Room vary between them. It's a great movie about following your dreams, no matter the outcome. For fans of Tommy Wiseau and The Room, it's an absolute must watch.

Surprisingly disappointing considering its source material and the talent involved

[2001ASOfan · 6/10 · 10 December 2017]

I thought for sure "The Disaster Artist" would be a slam-dunk based on advance buzz and reviews, and eagerly got out and saw it when it went wide and opened in my hometown this weekend. I enjoyed the heck out of roughly the first third of the film, but then, when it got around to the lengthy section depicting the making of "The Room," the "best worst film ever made," and the supposed mayhem of the actual real-life production crew and cast, I thought it fell flat and became a cartoon riff on what likely actually did happen on the real-life set. For some reason, Seth Rogen, who I normally get a big kick out of (though sometimes his trademark snark wears out its welcome) irritated me, as did other actors laying it on thick with the script's "wink-wink-nudge-nudge" too-obvious reaction to the mystery of Tommy Wiseau and his approach to life and filmmaking: I'm sure in real life crew and cast members' reactions to actually working on the "The Room" had a lot more complicated depth to them-- especially since they were being paid well and their checks were clearing at the bank as the production proceeded. Instead, we get this obvious, wafer-thin, surface and stereotypical reaction to Wiseau, with well-known actors doing small parts and winking at the camera as if to say "isn't this funny"--which works for some films but just doesn't work here. Thankfully, the ending section of the film, depicting the premiere of "The Room" and all that's happened since, almost saves it, but it had flagged too much by then for me to feel I got my money's (or time's) worth. I like the Franco brothers, am truly a fan of their wide variety of mainstream and independent film efforts overall (I'm one of the few who actually liked "Why Him?" and "This is The End," two polarizing comedies that either brought belly laughs or annoyed people) but "The Disaster Artist" is not either of their best efforts. It's clearly meant as a star-studded-cameo playtime lark, but a lark that those same actors likely enjoyed more than we do as an audience--and in my opinion it doesn't serve the real-life people it depicts very well, either, except to make viewers curious about the real "The Room" film, and about the people involved in that production. I was surprised that in the end the Francos and all involved in "The Disaster Artist" seemed to be laughing at--and not affectionately with--the real Tommy Wiseau and actors/crew of "The Room."

An absolute must-watch for fans of The Room

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 8/10 · 20 November 2017]

So yeah, The Room is pretty well-known by now, becoming just about the most popular 'so bad it's good' film of all time over the last six or seven years, as has the story behind it- as detailed in Greg Sestero's book, The Disaster Artist.

So being a fan of both, I had a good idea of what I was in for, approaching the James Franco directed The Disaster Artist, but I'm pleased to say the film ended up meeting my expectations and then some.

First things first: James Franco's performance in this is incredible. His accent and mannerisms are a spot-on imitation of Wiseau's, and he manages to make you feel sympathy towards the character too. It's one thing to so directly portray such a unique individual and make doing so incredibly funny, but it's another thing entirely to make him feel (almost) like a real person, and to make you genuinely care for him. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I truly think this performance is worth an Academy Award nomination (fingers crossed).

Everyone else was good too. Dave Franco had a less flashy role than his brother's, sure, playing Greg Sestero, but he did a good job as the more grounded, 'straight man' type character. And some of the casting was genius too- I could list almost everybody, but special mention should go to Josh Hutcherson, Zac Efron, and Jacki Weaver.

Also worth mentioning is how well the cast and crew recreated the look of the original The Room- the mannerisms of the actors, the set design, the lighting, the camera-work- it's all perfect. It makes the film an impressive technical achievement in many regards; not simply a funny film with inspired casting and good performances.

As for downsides? There aren't a whole bunch. Perhaps the most significant is that this may not have a great deal of appeal beyond those who've watched and loved The Room already. I'm sure it would still function as a good film, but it might lack something for those who aren't already indoctrinated into the cult of The Room. Other nitpicks I could think of may be that the film is fairly conventional in terms of plot- not a ton of surprises here (other than maybe a few cameos throughout). And it feels a tiny bit longer than just over 100 minutes- but again, that's a nitpick. I am more or less struggling to think of too much that I personally didn't like with this film.

So as a long time fan of The Room, this is about as good as I hoped it could be. I hope I'm wrong in my views that the audience for this will be limited, and that it does have appeal beyond hardcore fans of The Room. And hey, if there's enough buzz behind it to allow for James Franco to earn an Oscar nomination, then that would be fantastic.

And deserved (in my opinion).

This is one of the most pleasant surprises of the film year so far, and second only to Tim Burton's Ed Wood in the (admittedly probably non-existent) sub-genre of films about making terrible movies.

If you've ever watched The Room, or even just watched some of its scenes on Youtube, make sure you don't miss this one.

A good story to one of the greatest bad movies ever made

[jaxenross · 6/10 · 28 December 2017]

Oh hi Mark, I was hyped to see this movie ever since I saw the trailers. The Disaster Artist is a biography of what it was like making The Room; which seemed to start out as a good concept in the pre-production stages, but once it got to the troubled production - the movie goes to show that life can be hard and that accomplishing your dream is far from easy. The cast was noble especially the Franco brothers as Tommy and Greg, and overall, I thought the film delivered a virtuous significance. Now that I think of it, this is probably just as good or even better than The "actual" Room! Don't you agree?

Nothing disastrous about this film

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 17 February 2018]

'The Disaster Artist' has garnered comparisons with Tim Burton's 'Ed Wood'. Not surprisingly, both detailing of incompetent directors making infamously terrible films with big dreams and with their hearts in the right place.

In 'The Disaster Artist's' case, it looks at the life of Tommy Wiseau and the making of one of the worst films ever made 'The Room'. Some consider 'The Room' a cult classic while acknowledging that it isn't a good film but to me and others it's just inept film-making even when taking it for what it is. Like 'Ed Wood', a masterpiece and the better film, 'The Disaster Artist' is an infinitely better film than that that is the film's subject, actually being good. If you love 'The Room', you'll love 'The Disaster Artist' and how the film is treated affectionately rather than trashed. Even those who hate 'The Room', like me, are likely to find a lot to enjoy.

Not without its flaws certainly. Personally could have done without the concluding side by side comparisons, which didn't serve much point and on their own they were not as funny or clever as they could have been.

More pointless are some of the cameos, which were distracting and leaned towards the smug.

However, 'The Disaster Artist' is a triumph when it comes to the script and the storytelling. The script is witty and clever, with a lot of the frequent humorous moments and lines being hysterical. None of it is less than very amusing. Just as much a treat are the re-enacting scenes, which are far funnier than the actual product itself. Yet it's not just about the humour, there is also an immense likeability, pathos, heart and honesty.

Really loved the story execution. Tommy's hopes and struggles are relevant and relatable and his confidence and perseverance inspiring. The treatment of the subject matter is affectionate and also eccentric like Wiseau himself, something that one doesn't expect when they have knowledge of Wiseau and 'The Room'. One would think that the film would poke fun and trash them, but actually they're treated in a respectful and candid fashion, this definitely felt like a celebration. Especially well done is the central budding friendship, which was handled with warmth and sincerity and was truly heartfelt to watch.

Visually, 'The Disaster Artist' is certainly a more competent film while having some purposefully inept moments when re-enacting. The music is effective and fitting if not memorable or striking enough to get any rooting for awards. James Franco shows great confidence as a director and also gives a performance of a lifetime that shows him having the time of his life. It is easy to overlook his brother Dave, but he is not deserving of being because he gives every bit as good a performance while being more subtle. Seth Rogan is a riot and makes the most impression of the supporting cast.

Overall, very good and nearly great film, not disastrous in the slightest, misstepping only at the end and with some of the cameos. 8/10 Bethany Cox

fine but unremarkable beyond the concept and a performance

[Krimez · 6/10 · 2 December 2017]

"The Disaster Artist" is the highly anticipated bio pic about Tommy Wiseau's infamous masterpiece "The Room", which has gained a cult status for it being "so bad its good." While I fairly enjoyed the film and had a chuckle that this was even made, I can still understand the problems. There is nothing special about anything on a technical area, the cinematography and directing can range from blah to just plain ugly. The acting is fairly forgettable from everyone except the real reason this film works so well which is James Franco's performance as Tommy Wiseau, in case anyone is worried he did a fantastic job. But like I said everyone and everything else is so forgettable it tends to annoy me on reflection.

6/10

A Watery Synopsis and a Thin, Over-Hyped Leading Performance

[drqshadow-reviews · 5/10 · 10 March 2018]

James Franco takes a swing at the story behind The Room, a film so hopelessly inept it's developed a tenured, loyal cult following. This take has moments, but often seems to merely skim (if not altogether miss) what makes the subject so fascinating. Maybe I'd have better appreciated it if I hadn't read Greg Sestero's tell-all of the same name, which delves much deeper into the production's dysfunction. By comparison, this feels like a watery synopsis that, puzzlingly, leaves out some of the most interesting backstage dishes. It can't have been in the pursuit of a smoother narrative or a more clear-cut relationship between the two leads, because those blessings never arrive. Franco both directs and stars as Tommy Wiseau, the confusingly secretive social outcast at the center of it all, but given the buzz and awards surrounding his performance I was left wondering if I'd missed something. The famous accent doesn't feel quite right, often played with a wink and a grin that belies a soft undercurrent of derision, and his wardrobe may as well have come from a seasonal Halloween shop. His role comes off like an awkward cosplay rather than a serious performance, a gag act that went too far, and the surrounding film isn't fiery, appealing or even interesting enough to compensate. Good for a few laughs at best, maybe more for viewers less familiar with the subject, but as a one-man show it falls flat.

A funny, sincere and heartfelt story of chasing your dreams.

[jackcwelch23 · 18 November 2017]

Having been lucky enough to get tickets to the Australian premiere of The Disaster Artist with Greg Sestero himself in attendance, I was excited and eager to watch this amazing story. A comprehensive look at the making of what might be the most perplexing piece of cinema ever. I was not disappointed. James Franco is so spot on in his portrayal of Tommy's quirks and character its actually surreal. His first scene having him enter an acting class with the confidence of a rockstar but the talent of a fingerless piano player. Almost all of his endearingly strange lines had the audience laughing their heads off. I tip my hat to him and hopefully the Oscars come calling. He deserves to be nominated.

That presents a problem as well. He makes Tommy too likeable. While he was humanised to a certain extent and some solid insight was given into his motivations and feelings, it has to be acknowledged the real Tommy was far more obnoxious, manipulative and plain nasty. It was hard to present an accurate portrait of him as James Franco focuses more on his quirks and his charm and his tyrannical side was a bit glossed over. Nonetheless I gave him a pass and still loved watching him. And hey, you can't say Tommy isn't sincere. Other changes were made to the story and some plot points fictionalised, but that's the case in nearly every adaptation so that was to be expected. It did capture the spirit of the story and was never boring or slow paced, though it wouldn't have hurt to be a little longer either. Dave Franco does an excellent job as Greg, playing him a little more naive and optimistic than his real life counterpart (the real Greg knew he was not making a good movie, while this Greg seems a little more deluded.) but like the real Greg was so likeable and warm you just wanted him to succeed.

The film's supporting characters are perfectly cast as well, with Seth Rogen playing a straight man role as Sandy the stunned script supervisor along with several comedians and famous actors popping up left right and centre. The making of the movie is the most enjoyable part and is seriously funny. One of the biggest laughs in the cinema was Josh Hutcherson's first appearance as the room's most peculiar character, Denny, goofy haircut and shirt intact. It was also great to see that Ari Graynor and Jacki Weaver, playing Juliette Danielle's Lisa and Carolyn Minnott's Claudette from the movie respectively, are portrayed as strong willed and thick skinned people who nobly put up with some of the worst working conditions for an actor imaginable. No water or air conditioning combined with gratuitous belly button sex would have probably broken others but they soldiered on.

Overall it's a hilarious and genuinely moving account of an insane true story. It softens the darker edges a bit too much and I would have loved it to have included some even crazier parts of the book that didn't make the cut but what we're left with is still an excellent and enjoyable movie. OH HI MARK!

A film that could have been better only if...

[Koma-Mo · 6/10 · 20 August 2019]

Here is a movie that was perfectly gift wrapped for them from the start: a movie so terrible that reached cult status, a great book and audiobook that depicts everything involving the complex friendship between these two people, along with the hilarious details that depict the behind the scenes of this movie. However, due to James Franco's inexperienced directing and changes, I feel that the movie was good and fun to watch, but wasn't able to be the great movie it was meant to be.

I may be biased here as I really loved the audiobook and Greg Sestero went to great detail into everything that happened and doing a very good impression of his friend, Tommy Wiseau. One problem I've had with this movie was the miscasting of the main characters and with James Franco himself. He did a decent job doing the voice and gave a nice performance, but it only felt like an impersonation rather than him embracing the role. I only saw Franco being Tommy and Franco was able to be funny as this person, but didn't feel like he was the right match for the character and the makeup didn't fully work on him. You have a lot of recognizable faces in the cast and many of them do a decent job in their roles, however, the film felt a little rushed and didn't focus too much on the overall reactions and chaos that these people had to go through during production. Franco's directing also doesn't pay off as there were times that the film did drag on and lost it's pace during some of the scenes. The way he would film a scene and the structure of the story felt a little imbalanced at times and wished he would have made it a bit more cohesive.

You can tell that Franco had his heart in the right place as he wanted to respect Tommy for what he had done, especially toward the film that he had made. I really liked how the movie portrayed the friendship between these two men who are just total opposites of each other. You do get an understanding how these two developed an odd relationship that has continued to this day. Also, seeing the actors portraying what happened on set really brought the humor and entertainment. I laughed at the bits that they have focused on. However, this is another fault of the movie as I felt that the movie didn't go all out. The film only focused on a few parts on what happened during production and I felt that there were a few more things that could have been added to really add more juice to the overall film. It lacks the seriousness and the tension that had built up from the people on set and only had the people simply being annoyed and not doing anything else with them.

I do not hate this movie and rather enjoyed myself, but because I've listened to the audiobook, the changes that Franco made and his directing made me feel a little disappointed. It's still worth watching and quite enjoyable, but I do think that by having a better director and having someone who does have experience behind the camera could have made this movie better than it was. It's clear that Franco wanted to focus more on the production rather than the characters. If he was able to balance both of them out perfectly, then this would have been an even better movie than what had turned out.

A Hilarious Dramedy About The Art Of How Not To Make A Movie

[TheJediWay9 · 8/10 · 15 November 2017]

"The Disaster Artist" is a true story based on the making of the notoriously bad cult film "The Room," directed by Tommy Wiseasu. Wiseau is played by James Franco and Wiseau's friend Greg Sestero is played by Dave Franco. This was interesting, because I had heard so much about "the Room" and its cult status as one of the worst movies ever made. The trailer for the Disaster Artist was really intriguing, and I walked out pretty pleased.

This movie has the Franco Brothers and Seth Rogen, and we all know the reputation that comes with them. They make stoner comedies and basically all play the same characters in every movie they're in. That is not the case here. All of those clichés from those movies that we see from these guys are thrown out of the window. It was a nice change of pace and pleasant surprise for all of these guys after watching their work and seeing the same stale comedies delivered to audiences.

I also wouldn't "technically" categorize this movie as a "comedy." It's definitely more of a dramedy with comedic scenes mixed in, but this is because Tommy Wiseau, who is so magnificently played by James Franco in what is probably his best performance to date (yes I went there), is such a weird, mysterious, eccentric, and strange individual that his words and actions and his weird passion to make a movie come off as comedic. It's the more intense drama scenes that really work well within this movie. I will add that the comedic scenes shown the trailer are not the only funny scenes in the movie. There's definitely more humor in the movie aside from those scenes.

My issue with this movie really just comes down to pacing. It took a while for the buildup, and I get it, it's character development and you have to explain the relationship between Tommy and Greg, and that's character development, but it just felt a little too long. There were instances where I was checking my watch and thought to myself "i thought Seth Rogen was in this movie." I would also say that the character of Amber, played by Alison Brie, really didn't move the story forward all that much and I felt like she wasn't needed.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Laughed my ass off in some parts. Both Francos and Seth Rogen for that matter are really good in the movie, it's a behind the scenes type of movie that shows you how not to make a movie. I thought they did a really good job of capturing just how strange and determined Tommy Wiseasu was.

I am going to give "The Disaster Artist" a B+.

Check out my review of "The Disaster Artist" here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT5-PfMK180

I think a little overrated and not sympathetic enough for my liking.

[markgorman · 6/10 · 13 December 2017]

The Disaster Artist is essentially a biopic of an episode in the life of the mysterious Tommy Wiseau, a failed actor who somehow managed to spend over $6m on making what some regard as the worst film in Hollywood history; The Room. (It scores 3.6 on IMDB for information.)

I would urge you to at least watch some of the 'Best of The Room' videos that you can find on Youtube before seeing tThe Disaster Artist. Better still, go to a screening of the movie which has reached such levels of cult status and interactivity that it's become a bit like a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening or a Singalonga Sound of Music.

I mean it's awful. The Room, that is.

Here we find out how it came about and that means trying to get under the skin of Tommy Wiseau himself, clearly a task that James Franko has tackled with some relish, as he plays the lead role (and, like Wiseua directs the movie). His younger brother Dave Franko plays Wiseau's best friend Greg who plays Mark in the movie.

It's outright weird in places as we try to get to grips with Wiseau's accent - at times he is virtually unintelligible (including in The Room final cut - one of its great charms). He claims to be from St Louis but he looks Chinese or certainly East Asian and sounds Hungarian or certainly Eastern European. It's a bizarre mash up that Franko nails from the off.

Then there's the money, where does it come from? No clues are given. And his sexuality? His relationship with Greg is nothing if not close, but there is no sexual advances made on his 'baby faced" charge who he takes in to his home in LA.

Seth Rogan has a supporting role as an exasperated Script Supervisor/stand in director when Tommy is on screen - one famous scene required 67 takes and is captured hilariously here.

But it's all a little sad. Clearly we are laughing AT Wiseau not WITH him and it all felt a little charmless in that respect. There's no doubt Franko pulls it off and his brother also has a good turn, but for me I'd have liked just a spark of sympathy for the big fella.

The movie has gone on to wash its face and Wiseau has milked it enthusiastically over the years - maybe a little more than a caption to that effect would have given Tommy the last laugh.

An incredible REAL Hollywood MOVIE

[Jared9001 · 10/10 · 8 December 2017]

The Disaster Artist is absolutely incredible. I don't want to go into detail because honestly this is one of those movies that is best seen relatively blind. What I will say is that the performances are great, the chemistry between Tommy and Greg is pitch perfect, and Seth Rogen and the rest of the supporting cast do an excellent job. The tone of the film is absolutely spot on. The last scene of this movie, and what comes after the end card, absolutely blew me away; this film is so much fun. I just saw this movie, and I already want to see it again. I rarely say this, but I can't think of literally anything this movie could've done differently that would've made it better. Everything it set out to do is done incredibly well. I highly, highly recommend this film. 10/10

A one-joke film.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 28 March 2018]

Back in 1994, Tim Burton made one of his very best movies...."Ed Wood". Wood was a bio-pic about one of the worst film directors in movie history...and the film was terrific. Now, 23 years later, James Franco has made another film about a bad movie auteur, Tommy Wiseau...the writer, director and star of "The Room". "The Room" is such a terrible film that it's become a bit of a cult hit and theaters have shown it on and off for years. However, "The Disaster Artist" is not the same sort of film "Ed Wood" was for one very important reason....Wiseau seems to be a complete narcissist with antisocial tendencies and Ed Wood was a nice guy.

"The Disaster Artist" is mostly about Wiseau's work in creating "The Room" and is less a bio-pic. Through the course of the film, you see that Wiseau is 100% clueless about everything...a man who is painfully lacking self-awareness. He's a complete narcissist who thinks his ability is limitless...and folks around him really don't matter as it's all about him. As a result, you naturally dislike Wiseau...which makes the film much tougher to enjoy than "Ed Wood". And, a movie about an untalented guy who is unlikable is tough to watch after a while, as it's pretty much a one-joke film. It's not bad....but I don't think it lived up to the hype because of Wiseau. As for James Franco, he did a great job in playing Wiseau....and I can respect this and the work he put into making "The Disaster Artist".

By the way, Wiseau's cluelessness was pretty obvious at the Golden Globes when he charged up to the stage...as if he was a great filmmaker and not the butt of most folks' jokes. I am still not sure if he realizes that "The Disaster Artist" is NOT a positive portrait of this very strange man.

The Disaster Artist is a Funny and Informative Look at a Spectacularly Bad Movie

[CANpatbuck3664 · 8/10 · 9 December 2017]

The Room is one of those movies that is like a right of passage. If you're a fan of campy movies or you want to call yourself a movie lover, you have to watch it. I watched it just to prepare for The Disaster Artist. I thought there's no way its as bad as people say. Ya... it really is. I didn't fall in love with it as Franco and his friends obviously have but I wasn't angry while I was watching it. There are some moments where you can't help but laugh (I did naaaat! Oh hi Mark) and there were many times where I couldn't help but cover my face because of how awkward it gets (any part where anyone imitates a chicken). But it is the definition of awful film making. I just felt sorry for everyone involved, they obviously threw everything they had into it, they just didn't have the required talent to pull it off. Having seen The Disaster Artist, those suspicions are now confirmed.

The Disaster Artist is really Greg's account of how crazy the process of making The Room was and how his friendship with Tommy developed. I think you'll get the most out of this movie if you have seen The Room because with all the behind-the-scenes stories, it gives context to how the bizarre choices in the movie happened. This is effective because you can't help but ask yourself who thought making this movie was a good idea? after you've seen The Room. From Tommy's new style of on camera love making to why they replicated the alley from outside of the studio to film in rather than the actual alley, you find out why. I've seen movies that delve in deeper to the process of how to make a movie but I enjoyed this all the same.

The biggest surprise of this movie is they are so heartfelt when they really delve into Tommy's psyche and his relationship with Greg. I have to echo Seth Rogen when he said that it would have been really easy to just relentlessly mock Wiseau and call him a freak. There's a scene with Bob Odenkirk and a room full of acting students where they address that. But Tommy wants to be the hero so badly that you feel sorry for him. Although he isn't always the good guy, he really went for it and that is admirable. His friendship with Greg also is heartwarming. At the beginning of the movie, every time Greg was hanging out with Tommy I wanted to yell STRANGER DANGER! But you can see why these guys would be friends and when Greg consoles Tommy in the end, its a really nice moment and it highlights one of the big strengths of the film.

If you haven't seen The Room, the first thing that's going to grab your attention in the trailer is how wacky James Francos is playing Tommy Wiseau. If you have seen The Room, you know how close he is to Tommy as he nails his accent, his style and his weird mannerisms. Some people have suggested a Best Actor nomination but I don't know if I'd go that far. He gives a funny and engaging lead performance. Dave Franco is just as good as Greg Sistero. He's great at playing a very innocent and starstruck young actor who finds a kindred spirit in Tommy. Dave's a better actor than he's given credit for and he's both funny and sincere in this movie. Past those two lead performances, this movie is a parade of famous actors in supporting roles or cameos. Seth Rogen is really funny as Sandy, he's the one who calls Tommy out on his bizarre behaviour the most. Alison Brie is decent in her small role as Amber. Jacki Weaver and Ari Graynor were both amusing and sweet. My favourites of the cameos were Zac Efron and Josh Hutcherson as a way to intense Chis-R and a completely miscast Denny.

The hype around this movie was enormous and while I am generally a fan of the Franco brothers, Rogen and they're troop of friends, the only negative is that while this movie is funny, it still fell a little short in the comedy department. I got a couple of really big laughs but it was mostly just chuckles throughout. Almost all of the best parts are when they are directly skewering a specifically awful part of The Room so the parts exclusively dealing with Tommy and Greg outside of the movie can drag a little.

The Disaster Artist is a love letter to The Room and all the unintentional laughter it inspires. It gives you some insight into how this movie caught lightening in a bottle in delivering a horrific product that people could still enjoy. To add on that, you get some good performances, a laundry list of funny celebrities making cameos and a nice story of enduring friendship. The Disaster Artist isn't my favourite movie of the year but I enjoyed it enough to give it an 8/10. I'd recommend it to fans of The Room, campy cinema or the Judd Apatow stable of comedians.

funny and compelling

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 7 March 2018]

It's 1998 San Francisco. Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) is a 19 year old kid struggling to act. He is enamored by the uninhibited Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) in class. Tommy convinces Greg to join him in L.A. With no work forthcoming, Tommy writes his own movie, The Room.

This is a terrific performance from James Franco. Dave's pretty good too. It's a funny, compelling Hollywood story which turns dark in a few spots. The final ending is a little awkward although functional. I'm not sure if the laughter was that loud in real life. I can see the laughing overwhelmed Tommy in his mind. What it truly needs is a new character who is surprised by the movie and start spreading the word to his friends. I don't need the side by side comparison in the credits. Some of the scenes play better if one has already seen The Room. Obviously, James' troubles ended any hopes for Oscar and probably any future in this movie or even The Room itself. It's a shame because this is actually good.

The Story of a Bad Movie through a Great Film

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 11 February 2018]

The shy aspirant actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) meets the mysterious and eccentric Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) in an audition and soon they become friends. Tommy invites Greg to travel to L.A. and out of the blue, Tommy decides to write, direct and produce a film with Greg and himself as the leading actors. Tommy buys the necessary equipment and hires the cast and crew. Along troubled days, Tommy concludes his film and his dream come true. How will be the reception by the audience?

"The Disaster Artist" is the story of a bad movie ("The Room" - 2003) through a great film directed by James Franco. He has great performance in the role of the untalented Tommy Wiseau. It is nice to see also the story of friendship and the message to never give up on your dreams. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Artista do Desastre" ("The Artist of the Disaster")

There's a lot to unpack here.

[bridgetlok3n · 6/10 · 22 June 2022]

The Disaster Artist is a comedy that deals with much deeper themes than one might expect. It is a story of trying to create a place for yourself in a world where everyone is fighting to be seen. At first, I thought this movie was simply poking fun at Tommy Wiseau but it is actually trying to highlight his story while incorporating humour. While I don't think this is an amazing or perfect movie, I was highly entertained.

In the beginning, I wasn't entirely sure how much I was going to enjoy this movie but eventually it began to pick up. The start of Tommy and Greg's friendship was somewhat uninteresting; the movie wasn't anything special until Tommy's vision of a movie was set to action. The chemistry of the actors in the scenes that they were on The Room's set worked very well to aid the movie. The Disaster Artist did an amazing job of almost perfectly replicating scenes from Wiseau's "The Room". Although it may not seem like it, James Franco played a difficult role and truly displayed the full range of his acting skills. I feel that I would have found more enjoyment in The Disaster Artist if I had previously watched The Room and been able to detect the all the references to made to it.

The disaster artist turned a Hollywood joke into an inspiring movie; showing how you can change the narrative on something. It touches on the struggle of finding a job in the film business in LA and how competitive the atmosphere was and still is. The scene in which Tommy was laughed out of the theatre encapsulated how heartbroken he would have felt. However, he managed to profit and gain fame off of his movie even though it was in a different way than he imagined. This movie shows appreciation for making of The Room while finding humour with how bad the movie itself is.

There were a few minor things that put me off during the Disaster Artist that are mostly just personal issues. An example of this is that the movie is meant to be set in the early 2000's but the atmosphere did not feel like this time period. Although it was made more recently and our cameras have majorly improved, it could have been done better. Additionally, the humour did feel somewhat forced at a few points during the movie. In the end, this movie was enjoyable to watch but had a few flaws and isn't going to become a new favourite.

Oh, hi Mark.

not engaging enough

[nickshenoda · 5/10 · 8 March 2018]

The idea of this movie is great. it had the potential to be so much. people were genuinely excited about it. it had james franco. yet still this movie kind of faltered after an interesting start. james franco's performace was a little too on the nose. it becomes really apparent when at the end they play side by side comparison shots. it was a little exagerated and though the physical resemblance was uncanny at times, it came off as trying to hard. while that's the problem with james, which is understandable because the movie was literally going for an element of comedy, the rest of the cast didn't seem to be invested enough in the film. no one else really resembled the people, physically or in mannerism, they were supposed to be playing. so the whole setting was weird where james was in too much character and no one else in enough. the room is the room mainly because of tommy but not just because of him, and that's the point I think they missed. casting dave franco was also a mistake in my opinion. I think zac efron, who has a cameo btw, should have played his role instead. he just brings that zest, even to a shy under-confident character, that dave failed to do. so all in all even though it's enjoyable, the disaster artist failed to TEAR ME APART with it's comedy and drama