When it comes to projects that James Franco and Seth Rogen team up on, saying they are hit or miss is a severe understatement. Looking back on the past five years alone we have projects such as Sausage Party (2016), The Interview (2014) and This is the End (2013). Though I thoroughly enjoyed both Sausage Party and This is the End for the comedic moments they had, I can easily say that The Interview as well as the other two movies had more shock value than anything else. Each movie was their to interact with very touchy subjects and make them lighthearted, or at least try to. In other words even though you can find enjoyment in these films at times, they are no where near critical darlings and their is no true message to be presented to the audience other than “Hey isn’t this thing people would find shocking if we did it shockingly funny???”

So when I heard that James Franco and company were tackling easily the one of the worst films ever made, I was extremely worried. This is a movie that people hold in high regard for all the wrong reasons. The Room is so horrendously bad that it has accumulated a cult following of people that sit at midnight screenings every year to make fun of just how terrible it is. What originally crossed my mind when I heard the news was, “James Franco is going to make Tommy Wiseau a laughing stock to even more people that do not know about The Room.” For the first ten minutes of the film I firmly believed that all my worst fears had come true. However as I continued watching, I was more than pleasantly surprised that not only had Franco created an amazing film based on a truly terrible film, but he had also given someone who has been ridiculed for years a heart and soul no one thought he had.

James Franco truly took control of the film and personifying Tommy Wiseau by not only playing the lead character but directing the film, which Tommy also did in his directorial debut The Room. Franco was able to capture Tommy’s odd accent perfectly which everyone points out during the film is so strange that it cannot be pinned down to any certain locale. Not only this but he is able to get his other quirks down to a T, making me believe I was watching Tommy during the entire film and not James.

I however cannot say this about the other lead of this otherwise fantastic film. If I had one true criticism for James and his film, he should not have cast his younger brother Dave as Greg Sestero. Compared to James who truly became lost in his performance, Dave felt like he was put in simply because his brother was the director. When throwing in this picture of Tommy, James, Greg and Dave all next to each other, you can truly tell how miscast Dave was for this role.

Greg Sestero is the tall, handsome one compared to Tommy. When Dave is a good half a foot shorter than his brother and even more so compared to Greg, it is painful to watch. James truly disappears in his performance and I feel Dave wasn’t given the same chance too. Maybe if a little more time was given to Dave’s makeup like Jame’s was then maybe it would have made my gripe a little less overbearing for me during the film.

Luckily even though that took me out of the film quite a bit due to my knowledge of The Room, it will not have the same effect on those who do not know anything about the original film The Disaster Artist is based on. Anyone can go into this film and enjoy it. The message is strong enough to carry this film through and the laughs will keep you interested for the hour and forty-five minute run time.

For me personally I love the message Franco has painted for the viewer. Tommy just wants to be accepted by this world that does not want him. Hollywood is a difficult culture to understand and even more difficult to enter. All Tommy and Greg want is to be able to express themselves and be accepted by the world as artists with something to say. This hit me hard as I also find myself enticed by the world of Hollywood and having a difficult time discovering a way into it. For the people who feel lost in this world and just want to be appreciated for who they are, Tommy is an amazing model to live by. Now we may not have as much money as Tommy, but his passion to never give up and to truly keep moving forward no matter what is thrown at you, is something that everyone can aspire to.

If you are considering seeing this movie and want to know what it has to offer here is a quick TLDR for you.

Great comedic timing and truly hysterical moments you will not believe actually happened.

Great performance by James Franco who deserves any and all admiration for tackling a difficult subject in Tommy Wiseau and making him relatable.

Strong message that resonates with those wanting to leave their stamp on this world.

What I found brought the movie down.

Dave Franco’s performance as Greg Sestero for truly feeling he was miscast.

If I had to give a score: 92/100

I recommend this film for anyone. If you have reservations due to it being another James Franco/Seth Rogen project, do not let that deter you. This is the best that the duo has offered in quite some time if not ever.