The Disaster Artist (2017) – “How Often Do You Think Hitchcock Got A Response Like That?”
There’s this touching scene in The Disaster Artist where a producer rejects Wiseau (played by James Franco) with a brutal line, ‘You’ll never star in a film. Not in a million years’, to which Wiseau, beaten down and on the brink of giving up, quietly asks, ‘And after that?’ The Disaster Artist exemplifies perseverance – not just what it is, but how it can change a person.
The film follows Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), an aspiring young actor who suffers from anxiety, and as a result, cannot express himself in front of the camera. Then in comes Wiseau, who seems to be able to over-express himself. So the two from an unlikely friendship and push each other to pursue film careers. After Greg’s agent cannot seem to secure any roles, and Wiseau cannot seem to land any meetings with agents or producers, the two decide to make the famous (or infamous) The Room. For the next few months, Wiseau demonstrates his seemingly limitless wealth by purchasing both digital and film cameras, and unnecessarily creating sets and props, all while tormenting his cast and crew, demonstrating his unique acting, and driving a wedge between him and Greg. Eight months after the filming ends, The Room has its premiere, with, surprisingly, the entire cast, crew, and several other people showing up. At the screening, Wiseau notices everyone laughing at the film, and trudges out with tears on his face. Out comes Greg, and then the film truly does show the depths of the duo’s bond when Sestero convinces Wiseau to come back in to greet the cheering audience whilst the screen fades to black.
That may not be the last shot of the film (the film actually ends with a side-by-side comparison of The Room (2003) and The Disaster Artist, and the two films are simply uncanny), but that is certainly the last of this wonderful story. The Disaster Artist (2017) devotes the entire first act to fleshing out the characters and smoothly – but slowly – laying out the plot. As a result, Tommy and Sestero characters are resonant and deep. Tommy Wiseau is portrayed in a fascinating, Riggan-Thompson-from-Birdman (2014) style. In the movie, he is described as a malevolent being, like Dracula or Frankenstein. To a certain extent, that is true: Tommy’s condescending tone and mannerisms are displayed in full, yet the audience still roots for him. Why? Because as harsh as Wiseau may be, we are able to form an empathic link with him. We see him struggle, fall, stumble, and in those scenes, we are able to glimpse into the depth of his passion, his dream, and his unrelenting motivation. No matter how insane he is, Wiseau’s passion speaks volumes.
Greg, on the other hand, is far more practical and logical. In essence, he is the opposite of Tommy. It’s the scenes where we see Greg and Tommy bond that are a real treat. For the first part of the movie, Wiseau pushes Greg to follow his dreams. We are able to see Greg strengthen as an actor under Tommy’s seemingly intoxicating presence. But the special part of Greg is how he supports Tommy. It’s at the third act of the film when Sestero guides a dejected Wiseau back to the theater and gestures to the tumultuous crowd and asks, “How often do you think Hitchcock got a response like that?” The Disaster Artist (2017) masterfully shows how the two are able to strengthen each other, and it’s truly a joy to watch.
If there’s only one criticism with The Disaster Artist, it’s this: the film starts out with several celebrities pouring their opinions about The Room. While this scene is meant to show how The Room has affected people, it is completely unnecessary. Not only do we not care about the opinions of celebrities, we do not need to know how much of an icon The Room has become; after all, it is fair to assume that anyone who bothers to buy the ticket to see The Disaster Artist will understand the effect that The Room has had on mainstream media.
But ultimately, The Disaster Artist masterfully tells the story of two persevering actors who, while considerably misguided and possible deranged, chased their dreams and, at least in one way or the other, reached their goal. This film is funny, witty, but most impressively, beautifully empathic.
