James Franco’s The Disaster Artist is one of the most acclaimed movies of the year. And now, with Franco’s Golden Globe win for enacting Tommy Wiseau – begs the question how is a film based on ‘the Citizen Kane of bad movies’ so good? The answer lies in Greg Sestero’s book where Franco discovered the fascinating story of Tommy Wiseau and the making of arguably Hollywood’s worst movie ever.
Where Franco’s film could have been just an out-and-out funny movie, it provides a compelling portrait of a man desperate to succeed but who has absolutely no talent for acting. What do people like these do? That’s what The Disaster Artist examines, and is lifted by James Franco’s outstanding performance. He walks the line of imitating Wiseau’s bizarre mannerisms and accent, without ever reducing him into a full parody and that takes some skill.
