In soon-to-be 15 years the surreal film project THE ROOM has gone from screening in countless midnight screenings through word of mouth advertising to an ironically celebrated “best worst film of all time.“ The film, which is actually quite boring and sexist, has become a cult hit because of writer-director-actor-producer Tommy Wiseau, who has constructed his own mythology for years with his long black hair, sunglasses, indistinguishable accent, and the unclear statements he makes about himself. James Franco‘s THE DISASTER ARTIST highlights the strange genesis of the cinematic car crash.

You can‘t help but think of Tim Burton‘s cinematic ode to disaster artist ED WOOD in Franco‘s film about Tommy Wiseau. It portrays the trash director with the same dedication who shoots his films in spite of all the headwind. At the end of the film Ed Wood is seen sitting with bright eyes at the premiere of his film saying „this is the one I‘ll be remembered for.“ THE DISASTER ARTIST also celebrates the protagonist‘s fearlessness at first. Tommy Wisea does gradually sink lower in his cinema seat during THE ROOM‘s premiere, however, before adapting to the crowd and rechristening the drama into a comedy. In the end, James Franco‘s film could be about the process of fitting into Hollywood, but he‘s too interested in packing all the known anecdotes into a pleasant indie film. When the image splits during the credits and we see the original film scenes next to the reenacted ones, it becomes clear what the film is: a Best of THE ROOM.

Hardy Zaubitzer

Translation: Elinor Lewy