AndersonVision Best Films of 2017: #8 – THE DISASTER ARTIST(A24)
THE DISASTER ARTIST REVIEWED
“The Disaster Artist” was my favorite movie of the year at one point. Then, I watched Ed Wood again. After watching one of Burton’s finest films, it soured me a little on The Disaster Artist. The Franco noise in real life doesn’t irk me. The fact that the Internet is riding Tommy Wiseau harder than its insane love for Tide Pods, bacon, Pugs and Ugandan Knuckles doesn’t even raise an eyebrow. What keeps me from calling this the best film of 2017 is the fact that it feels unearned.
Much like what Robert Downey, Jr warned in Tropic Thunder, you don’t fully commit to something like that. When you lose the actor in the process of trying to become an internet friendly loon, then you lose the focus of the narrative. That’s when this film became an attempt to lionize the myth of Wiseau, rather than explain how in the hell “The Room” happened. If I wanted to watch a film about how awesome The Room is, then I could listen to any of the Jag Wagons on YouTube. Dear Satan, please let the final Adpocalypse knock them off the Internet forever.
What Franco got right was playing it like a Modern Era Rich Little to nail Wiseau. What Franco got wrong was being a fan. Whether it’s taking Wiseau on the Press and Awards trail or the sudden rediscovery of The Room…this kinda feels more like a filmed commercial. Why do we keep needing to root through the garbage of 2003? Well, you have to look at the moments that don’t have Franco going Full Wiseau.
Watching as he meets Greg and Greg’s family and co-workers sour on Tommy Wiseau. Seeing how the outside world responds to this mumble-mouth Belgian (I can spot an accent anywhere) was great. But, ultimately this film can’t let you enjoy letting you see Tommy fail. That inability to commit where it matters will haunt this film. Still, I enjoyed it. Enjoy that schizo response.
FILM STATS
- 1 hr and 44 minutes
- R
- A24
