Going to see this movie merely for the actor’s performance, I did not expect to like the film nearly as much as I did. By the end, though, I was quite charmed.
This time of year, buzz for Best and Supporting acting roles begins. James Franco is no stranger to those accolades. This year, though, his noted role is a bit unconventional, to me, as one that might garner an Oscar nomination. The movie itself is odd.
Writing about The Disaster Artist without giving too much away is difficult. While watching it, I worried and wondered about what had caused all of this odd behavior by the title character, and I still do. (I have my suspicions.) At times, I am sure I held my breath, watching the pain Tommy carried with him in life. I’m not sure how much Franco portrayed this purposefully or in jest, though, as we never fully understand the character. But this story, more than the Disaster that Tommy is, is about friendship. And this friendship might be one of the best I’ve seen portrayed in quite some time. The depiction of this friendship highlights the care and concern between the two, the trust, the dependence, but also the risk of taking advantage of those we lean on.
The Disaster Artist is a film about these two friends making another film. That other movie is The Room. The Room, released around 2003, became a cult classic. Fans of the movie know it well. I had not seen The Room before seeing The Disaster Artist, and it’s certainly not necessary to do so. I would bet that most people reading this have never even heard of The Room. I hadn’t either. But now I’m intrigued by it, not as a film I must see, but as one that will no doubt make me smile at knowing of Franco’s performance.
As for Franco and a possible gold statue, I will not be surprised if he earns the nomination. He delivers this performance with astonishing clarity, clarity you might not appreciate unless you stay not only for the scenes shown with the credits at the end of the movie (fantastic to watch!) but also for the gem of a scene shown after all of the credits have rolled. I giggled. Again, though, I never was sure if Franco is trying to carefully depict Tommy or make fun of him. Maybe that’s what makes his performance even better.
Yes, this is James Franco. And it is not 127 Hours. So if you’ve seen any of his other work (even his hosting of SNL a couple of weeks ago), the cameos throughout the film are especially entertaining. Seth Rogan has a strong role, and he, as always, performs with apt comedic timing. Other than the utterly awful wigs throughout the movie, the movie is quite entertaining. It is odd, yes. But it is entertaining, even if mostly in that hide-your-face-lest-you-cringe-too-much manner.
“Oh. Hi Mark.”
“You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!”