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****
Dir: James Franco (15 103 mins)
A joyous examination of the wonders of creativity, no matter how awful the outcome, The Disaster Artist is an excellent film about the making of a terrible one. Back in 2003 cult film The Room was released by actor/director Tommy Wiseau – an eccentric, quirky figure, played here with chameleon skill by James Franco. He befriended another struggling actor, Greg Sestero, played by Dave Franco. Having had no success at auditions or acting classes they decided to make their own film, each beguiled by the other’s apparent strengths but neither seeing the fuller picture. What follows is an often-hilarious chronicle of a misbegotten enterprise, with the brothers Franco playing well off each other; one may have baby-faced good looks and the other an apparent stroke of genius, but when it comes down to it, neither has the skills to succeed. And where is Tommy getting the money from to make his bonkers film?! Director Franco, whilst also pulling off his best performance in years, allows us to laugh at Wiseau but also feel for him as he falls deeper into egocentric mayhem. The Room is now an underground hit, with its so-bad-it’s-good vibe, but it came at a price. Studded with cameos and full of charm, The Disaster Artist is a true-life tale worth catching, even if you’ve never heard of The Room you’ll want to see it after this.
Opens December 1