2017 movie about a movie
Rating: 15/20 (Fred: 16/20; Josh: 15/20)
Plot: Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero become pals and make the world's greatest movie.
Watching the opening of The Room as it is portrayed in this movie will be one of my favorite movie moments of the year. As cliched as it might sound these days, The Room really is one of my favorite movies, and Tommy Wiseau is one of my favorite people. Once I found out that Franco and company were going to put Sestero's excellent book on screen, I had mixed feelings. Part of me--the really selfish part--wasn't happy about it because I'm not sure I want a movie I love so deeply to have its popularity expand well beyond my circle of friends. Sure, I know there's a cult following. I know it's not just me and Josh and a handful of others who can always get a smile out of each other with a well-timed Wiseau reference, like having our school secretary page him on the intercom without having any idea who he is. But having normal people, people who aren't obsessed with terrible movies made by delusional foreign directors trying to make good ol' fashioned American entertainment, suddenly know all about The Room? I just wasn't sure I was ready for Tommy Wiseau to become a household name.
Still, there was some excitement to see what these guys would do with a story filled with so much potential comedy, drama, and--yes--even some heart? And watching that premiere and some of the most infamous scenes from the movie being created before our eyes really was a beautiful experience. The movie opens with some famous faces in front of a black background talking about their love of the movie, and one of them (I want to say it was Adam Scott) talks about how if he could go back in time to experience anything in history, he'd want to be at the filming of The Room. I think this would be on my short list, too, and this movie gives people an opportunity that is the next best thing to that.
There's a fine line with something like this between homage and ridicule, and another concern of mine was that Franco would nail the comedy with this whole thing but fail to capture the humanity of Wiseau. Because that's totally in the book! Wiseau is part-oddball, part-enigma, and part-tragic figure. There's been Oscar buzz for James Franco, and he really is excellent, mostly because he's able to not just do a killer Tommy Wiseau impression but also is able to be completely hilarious, mysterious, and completely human. I think the best thing I can say about the lead performance here is that there wasn't a single moment when I thought I was watching James Franco. "Continuity is in your forehead" and "Wow, happy birthday" and numerous other lines are delivered with perfection by Franco, and I like how there's no real attempt to "explain" the idiosyncrasies with Wiseau, like his multiple belts or his origin or money source. And during those moments when Wiseau, like any other human being rather than a buffoonish cartoon character, needs to show emotion, you really feel it with Franco, especially in the body language and expressive eyes. It really is a good performance, and it could have turned out so very wrong.
Are there issues with everything outside of Franco's performance? The movie, really from the get-go with those interview snippets, is a little too cameo-heavy with appearances from Sharon Stone, Bob Odenkirk, Bryan Cranston, and even Wiseau. Apparently, David DeCoteau makes an appearance in this. Dave Franco and Seth Rogen and others who get a lot more screen time might have been a little too campy at times. It was good to see Nathan Fielder, star of the best show on television, in there though. My biggest gripe might have been the music. I guess this is technically a period piece, but all that Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, Rick Astley, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, and Faith No More, along with some cliched montages, were choices that lacked originality and made things generic and silly at times.
I've waffled between a 14 and 15 while typing this up and still don't really know what I want to rate it. I suspect the experience of watching this on the big screen with a pair of good friends has something to do with a possibly-inflated rating. But I also appreciate that this seems like a true labor of love.
Personal highlights for me:
1) Watching the Wiseau character throw a football for seemingly the first time
2) "Wow, happy birthday."
3) Our introduction to Wiseau, also the Sestero character's first exposure to the future legend
4) A lot of stuff I wish I wouldn't have already seen in the trailers
5) "Continuity is in your forehead."
6) The filming of the bellybutton sex scene
7) Jacki Weaver's Carolyn's somewhat touching storyline
8) Getting to watch Rebel without a Cause with Tommy Wiseau, maybe a dream of mine
9) All that glorious behind-the-scenes stuff, allowing fans to be flies-on-the-wall
10) No explanation of the spoons. Because you know what? Not every mystery needs to be solved.
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