The Disaster Artist
2017 · Directed by James Franco
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
The story
An aspiring actor in Hollywood meets an enigmatic stranger by the name of Tommy Wiseau, the meeting leads the actor down a path nobody could have predicted; creating the worst movie ever made.
What it’s like
Warm, bright Los Angeles days and sun-washed apartments give way to rehearsal rooms lit by flat fluorescents and the dim, slightly grubby glow of a film set that never quite works. The camera stays close and handheld in the scenes of friendship and rivalry, then settles into tidy, almost sitcom-like framing for the stage and set work, so the comedy of manic self-belief sits inside a recognisable industry look. Music is a mix of indie-rock needle drops and light, bouncy pop that makes the bigger failures feel brighter. Vibe: wry, affectionate, slightly anxious, with a dash of second-hand embarrassment. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a laugh-out-loud night with friends, or a movie-buff rewatch. The pace is brisk and sociable, with dialogue-driven scenes and bursts of physical comedy. Tone is comic but humane: a lonely, eccentric man and his younger friend chase the dream of being seen, and the ache of that ambition runs under the laughs. Intensity is low: some strong language and sexual humour, no real violence or gore, and the tension is social rather than frightening. Made for people who love films about filmmaking, awkward friendships, and the odd beauty of creative failure.
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