Re: The Disaster Artist reviews
Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2017 5:21 pm
I didn't like this as much as I'd hoped. Comparisons to Ed Wood may be unfair, but they're pretty unavoidable, and this film has nowhere near the insight nor the weird beauty of Burton's film (nor a character as well-drawn as Lugosi). I also didn't find this near as funny as expected. Perhaps it's because I'd seen the coming attraction a few weeks back, which consisted of the entire "I did not hit her" scene. THAT made me laugh uproariously, but it thus robbed me of the pleasure of discovering the scene for the first time. And the rest of the film just didn't strike me as on the same comic level.
I did put myself through The Room a few weeks back in preparation, and, yeah, it's a bad movie -- abyssmally acted, with ridiculous continuity errors and inexplicable moments (why are they wearing tuxedos? and why do they play football in them?). I've never been much for sitting through movies because they're terrible -- "so bad it's good" has never worked for me -- so I'd have needed something more than this film displayed in the way of added value to make it worth my while to spend this much time in the company of an impenetrable personage like Tommy Wiseau. I truly don't know anything about the guy, other than he's weird, has an indescribable accent, and doesn't seem to relate to other humans very well. James Franco gives a committed performance -- he never steps outside the persona Wiseau projects -- but it feels more like a stunt than something full-bodied. If this were a normal best actor year, he'd probably be a long shot, and even as is I'd not be 100% sure he'll make the cut, even if he wins the Globe (remember, Sally Hawkins won the comedy Globe in '08). It's notable that, after it's huge opening, the film's grosses have fallen off a cliff: this is a cult effort, not a mass audience thing.
The ending felt like a bit of a cheat -- transposing the subsequent-years' reaction of midnight show audiences to the film's opening -- but I guess the film can be forgiven that, for ending on a high. I did find the film's second half more appealing than the first, and Sabin is right, that it felt mostly the story of a friendship (with brother Dave carrying a lot of the audience empathy, and doing a decent job of it). It's not as if I disliked the film. I'd just hoped for something a bit more special than I got.
I did put myself through The Room a few weeks back in preparation, and, yeah, it's a bad movie -- abyssmally acted, with ridiculous continuity errors and inexplicable moments (why are they wearing tuxedos? and why do they play football in them?). I've never been much for sitting through movies because they're terrible -- "so bad it's good" has never worked for me -- so I'd have needed something more than this film displayed in the way of added value to make it worth my while to spend this much time in the company of an impenetrable personage like Tommy Wiseau. I truly don't know anything about the guy, other than he's weird, has an indescribable accent, and doesn't seem to relate to other humans very well. James Franco gives a committed performance -- he never steps outside the persona Wiseau projects -- but it feels more like a stunt than something full-bodied. If this were a normal best actor year, he'd probably be a long shot, and even as is I'd not be 100% sure he'll make the cut, even if he wins the Globe (remember, Sally Hawkins won the comedy Globe in '08). It's notable that, after it's huge opening, the film's grosses have fallen off a cliff: this is a cult effort, not a mass audience thing.
The ending felt like a bit of a cheat -- transposing the subsequent-years' reaction of midnight show audiences to the film's opening -- but I guess the film can be forgiven that, for ending on a high. I did find the film's second half more appealing than the first, and Sabin is right, that it felt mostly the story of a friendship (with brother Dave carrying a lot of the audience empathy, and doing a decent job of it). It's not as if I disliked the film. I'd just hoped for something a bit more special than I got.