A loving tribute to the best worst movie of all time.

Where would we be without bad films? As a movie critic, probably nowhere. While it’s easy to sit back and applaud the finer side of cinema, the world would be a far duller place without those ugly ducklings that bob around film’s nether regions.

Of course, some movies are bad, some are awful, the odd few are downright disgraceful; yet, there are those rare few so mind-bogglingly terrible that they achieve transcendence. They’re those rare gems that fly in the face of logic to become something far beyond the realms of human comprehension; attaining a lofty status that belies their qualities (or lack thereof).

From Showgirls to Sharknado, via Batman & Robin; the cult of the ‘so bad it’s good’ movie manages to eschew all taste, logic, and rational thinking to scratch that masochistic itch no Academy Award winner can (or, more accurately, will) reach. No one truly sets out to make a bad film, however (not even Uwe Boll); and it’s precisely this purity of endeavour that makes a true cinematic turkey something oddly beautiful when one arrives.

In the pantheon of good-bad films, however; one stands proudly above them all. For there are terrible films, there are really terrible films…and then there’s The Room. As a piece of cinema, it’s very existence makes no sense whatsoever; yet the sheer and utter insanity of its journey into being makes it an infinitely fascinating footnote in film history.

With the daunting task of making sense of The Room’s fabled voyage from one man’s off-kilter mind, to midnight screenings the world over; The Disaster Artist operates perfectly as a loving tribute to passion, determination, self-belief, spoons, and the unwavering power of cinema.

Down on his luck and low on confidence; Greg Sestero’s (Dave Franco) dreams of stardom appear over. That is, until a chance meeting with the mysterious Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) opens up a strange new world of possibilities for the aspiring actor. With grand plans of fame and glory, the duo strike up an unlikely friendship, before hitting Hollywood to chase their dreams. With success not forthcoming, Tommy takes matters into his own hands by writing, producing, and directing a film for Greg and himself to star in. Fuelled by unwavering passion, a burning desire for success, and Tommy’s suspiciously bottomless well of cash; the two friends set about making what would go down in history as the best worst movie of all time.

There’s just something about Tommy Wiseau that really shouldn’t work. His look, his mannerisms, his mysterious background, his complete lack of self-awareness, his highly questionable acting abilities - the man laughs in the face of logic. Yet, here we are; fifteen years after the release of his infamous opus, The Room, and Wiseau’s notoriety is about to reach new heights.

Nevertheless, despite these new-found levels of notoriety, Tommy Wiseau remains the rarest of things in an era of near-unlimited celebrity pervasiveness - a true enigma. And that’s precisely how The Disaster Artist keeps it. For those expecting a full-blown exposé on one of Hollywood’s oddest acolytes will likely walk away disappointed, as The Disaster Artist goes to great lengths to leave things vague.

We enter the film with muddied knowledge on Wiseau’s origins and exit with precious little added clarity but, while The Disaster Artist may lack any real revelation, you cannot fault it on character. Although we glimpse only the merest slither of Wisaeu’s personal life, the film ensures this brief window is filled with enough character development to build a well-rounded picture of a man simultaneously everything and nothing we’d expect him to be.

On the surface, Tommy Wiseau’s story isn’t a particularly unique one within Hollywood. Plenty pass through the town armed with nothing but hopes and dreams; yet, what sells this tale of stardom-chasing is Wiseau’s sheer, bloody-minded self-belief. Is it arrogance? Sure. Is it blind entitlement? Definitely. Is it bum-clenchingly entertaining? Absolutely. And, while The Disaster Artist never digs any deeper into Wiseau’s self-styled mythos than it deems necessary; the film does a fine job in providing an unflinching portrayal of a truly enigmatic character that, like the film he birthed, succeeds despite the many flaws.

As a person, Tommy Wisaeu appears to be a self-awareness vacuum and, while there’s a natural vain of comedy to be tapped from that, The Disaster Artist makes sure to avoid its humour becoming mean-spirited. As director, producer, and star; James Franco holds a clear affection for his eccentric protagonist and, in anchoring Tommy’s drive for Hollywood success in a relentless longing for acceptance, he succeeds in creating a natural form of empathy that ensures we laugh with him and not at him, unless absolutely necessary (in all honesty, it’s hard not to sometimes).

While it’d be a stretch to consider The Disaster Artist a full-blooded comedy, it’s nevertheless one of the most consistently funny films of the year. Taking some time to find its footing, The Disaster Artist initially plays a little too heavily on the sheer awkwardness of Greg and Tommy’s first interactions but, as we grow accustomed to their oddball relationship and as the wheels start to turn on The Room’s fabled production, the film really hits its comedy stride.

Unfortunately for those unfamiliar with the intricate peculiarities of The Room, chances are high that you’ll find yourself a little lost by this point. As The Disaster Artist gives a blow-by-blow account of the balls-out insanity (quite literally at one point) of The Room’s infamous production process, the film does begin to lean rather heavily on fan service. While the humour is broad enough to pick up without an encyclopaedic knowledge of the source material, the sheer number of in-jokes and meta moments will make it difficult for the uninitiated to fully embrace the film.

Films about filmmaking don’t work for everyone and can be a hollow experience without any prior knowledge of the subject; so, as painful as it sounds, a viewing of The Room is almost compulsory before stepping into The Disaster Artist’s whirlwind of crazy. It certainly won’t be pretty but hold your breath, go for it and your exposure to the film’s baffling quirks will likely heighten your appreciation of what The Disaster Artist is aiming to achieve.

For those that know their way around The Room’s strange corners; witnessing the film’s most infamous moments unfold before your eyes is an oddly satisfying experience. As an origin story, The Disaster Artist is cleaver in offering fans a fresh angle from which to view a film that many consider a joke. To add depth to something as downright ridiculous as The Room is a monumental achievement and testament to the heart James Franco has poured into the film.

While The Disaster Artist is very much James Franco’s baby, and much will be made of his all-encompassing performance; arguably the most emotionally engaging elements of the film come courtesy of his brother, Dave. As the younger Franco, Dave goes toe-to-toe with his older brother’s brash idiosyncrasies with a sweet and eminently charming turn as Greg Sestero that lends the film heart just as it appears ready to float off to Wiseauland, never to be seen again.

As he’s swept along on Tommy’s bizarre whims, Greg acts as the audience’s eyes as we look on in outrage/wonder at his friend’s increasingly erratic behaviour. The on-screen chemistry between the siblings injects a pleasing level of authenticity to Greg and Tommy’s relationship but, without the warmth that Dave brings to the role, the film would likely implode in a grotesque, Wiseau-shaped ball.

This is, of course the Wiseau show though and it’s, therefor, difficult to look past James Franco’s dominating performance as he disappears wholesale behind into Tommy’s peculiar, rubbery skin. Going all-in with the accent, shoe polish hair, attitude, and abrasive mannerisms that made Wiseau such an oddly magnetic presence; James Franco’s immersive performance is both bewildering and awe-inspiring in equal measure. It’s the kind of astonishing transformation that very few actors this side of Daniel Day-Lewis can pull off; yet, as Franco sinks further and further into the role, it’s clear that, for all intents and purposes, he IS Tommy Wiseau.

With such a delusional, spiteful, and entitled nature; it’d be easy to find ways to dislike Tommy, yet there’s something so affectionate in James Franco’s embodiment of the character that at least some level of empathy is allowed. To this end, The Disaster Artist holds more than a few similarities to Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, and it’s in Johnny Depp’s titular character that Tommy finds a kindred spirit. As characters with drive and determination that far outstrip their filmmaking abilities; Tommy Wiseau and Ed Wood could easily become figures of ridicule, but it’s thanks to smart writing and pinpoint performances in both instances, that this isn’t the case.

Many will argue over which of The Room and Planet 9 From Outer Space is truly the worst film ever made, but as The Disaster Artist and Ed Wood convey so affectively - they got made. Not only that, the films both found their audience in some capacity and, in a world of disposable entertainment; to have any form of emotional engagement, regardless of irony, is a wonderful achievement in anyone’s books.

In perhaps The Disaster Artist’s most touching scene, we see Tommy finally come to terms with what his film truly is and, while it wasn’t quite what he’d anticipated, it represents an impressive accomplishment nonetheless. The fact that we’re here fourteen years after The Room’s release - with Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End continuing to sell out screenings, and with the possibility of seeing Tommy Wiseau at the actual Oscars all too real - is something quite special indeed.

Part Ed Wood, part demented Citizen Kane; The Disaster Artist is a wonderfully affecting and effortlessly funny recounting of a truly unique chapter in cinema’s history. Built on the back of an all-encompassing performance by James Franco and told with passion, heart, and a healthy dose of good-natured humour; The Disaster Artist does a fantastic job of recreating ‘the greatest bad movie ever made’, while recounting the bizarre story of its infamous production. Though it doesn’t offer much in the way of insight into the myth of Tommy Wiseau, and the film’s meta-referential nature may go over the uninitiated; the film nonetheless works as a loving ode to friendship, dream chasing, and the inspirational power of cinema.