First you’re laughing at him, then you’re laughing with him.
The Disaster Artist is a fun movie that captures the eccentricities of Tommy Wiseau, the writer, director, and star of The Room. It paints Tommy as a misunderstood artist with a vision nobody believes in, and then hilariously illustrates why nobody believed in him.
The movie starts with Tommy and Greg meeting in an acting class, and follows their new friendship from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Along the way, the movie teases Tommy’s mysterious wealth, unknown origins, and goofy acting style. By the time Tommy and Greg decide to produce their own movie, you genuinely care about their friendship, and yearn to see what this odd man comes up with for a screenplay.
Watching Tommy direct The Room is an absolute riot. Nearly every decision he makes is questioned by his crew, and Tommy responds with abject outrage. When it comes time for Tommy to work in front of the camera (after naively casting himself as in the lead role), he’s clearly out of his depth – forgetting lines, looking directly into the camera, and laughing at weirdly inappropriate moments.
The story concludes on a heartwarming note, with Tommy at the world premier of The Room accepting that his movie would not be a success. Greg comforts Tommy with the perspective that the audience loved it anyway.
The Disaster Artist is worth watching, but it includes so many nods to The Room, you’ll enjoy it a lot more if you see that first.
★★★