The Disaster Artist

THE DISASTER ARTIST (James Franco, 2017)

In TO DIE FOR Nicole Kidman’s aspiring TV news anchor is said to believe “you’re not really anybody in America unless you’re on TV.” For wannabe actor Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) in THE DISASTER ARTIST, the same sentiment applies to the movies. Tommy envisions himself as a to-be-discovered Hollywood star, but as much as he wants it, no one else sees this indeterminately-accented, much-older-than-he-claims oddball as a screen idol. Deep down Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) surely doubts Tommy’s ability to make it too, but the timid nineteen year-old can’t help but be won over by the enthusiasm and unself-consciousness of his new acting friend. Plus, Tommy has an apartment in Los Angeles that he offers to share with Greg if he’s willing to make the move from San Francisco.

Rejection comes frequently for them in Tinseltown, but Tommy knows how he can turn their dreams into reality. He will write and fund a movie called THE ROOM for them to make. It’s all terribly exciting even as it becomes clear during filming that Tommy’s ambition far exceeds his abilities and his ego is jeopardizing other opportunities for Greg. To most of the cast and crew, Tommy is a laughingstock, but Greg still feels obligated to defend his friend.

Plenty of bad independent films are made every year and go unremembered and unseen. THE DISASTER ARTIST, based on the book Sestero co-wrote about the making of THE ROOM, describes the conditions for creating a cult film howled at as one of the worst movies of the century. If it weren’t for Tommy’s willingness to promote it and, more importantly, the notorious reputation and mocking laughter it produced, his passion project would have suffered a similar fate as so many other forgotten indies. Rather than hide from the derisive acceptance of audiences, Tommy embraced his role, doing his weird laugh all the way to the bank.

Tommy’s utter ridiculousness and Franco’s spot-on impersonation never cease to be funny. He’s able to convey how Tommy’s strength of conviction, not to mention a lot of money, is generally enough to get people to execute the strange and nonsensical choices in his creative vision. Tommy isn’t especially charismatic, but Franco locates a certain charm in his flat delivery, even if it is just affirming to people that they can become stars. In fact, he may be more encouraging to those in his orbit because he’s so obviously out of his element. If this guy can get a movie made, who’s to say I can’t break into the industry?

Nevertheless, THE DISASTER ARTIST peddles a false inspirational story that settles uncomfortably. While there’s value in accomplishing what you set out to do, Tommy receives tarnished glory. He achieves fame and acceptance but at the cost of demeaning himself. THE DISASTER ARTIST doesn’t seem to see any problem with that. The misguided opening scene features celebrity testimonials regarding their enjoyment of THE ROOM. That section plays like the cool kids egging on an unpopular student to act foolishly for their amusement. I laughed quite a bit during THE DISASTER ARTIST and the incompetent film it recreates, but as director Franco comes up short in examining the thematic complexity.

Grade: B

The Interview

THE INTERVIEW (Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, 2014)

As THE INTERVIEW neared its Christmas 2014 release, seeing a silly movie with James Franco and Seth Rogen changed from a holiday diversion into a patriotic demonstration. The film’s comedic premise about assassinating the leader of North Korea was suspected of making Sony a target for hackers. Those electronic intruders also threatened to bomb theaters where THE INTERVIEW would play. With national chains electing not to show it, the studio canceled the film’s opening before announcing a last minute plan to put it some independent theaters and simultaneously release it on online platforms. At this point watching THE INTERVIEW transformed into a defiant act against a foreign dictator. That’s a lot to burden any film, let alone one that doesn’t take itself seriously.

Although television producer Aaron Rapaport (Rogen) and host Dave Skylark (Franco) are celebrating ten years and one thousand episodes of their tabloid talk show, Aaron has some regrets that their work is not respected or respectable. To restore his pride Aaron wants to do something serious. The biggest exclusive of his life falls into his lap when he learns that North Korean President Kim Jong-un (Randall Park) is a fan and would consent to an interview with Dave. Of course, the so-called Supreme Leader insists that he will supply all of the questions, but the opportunity to scoop the worldwide media is irresistible.

Before traveling to the palace in Pyongyang for the big interview Aaron and Dave are visited by the CIA’s Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan), who wants them to assassinate President Kim. Aaron just needs to apply a ricin strip to Dave’s palm so that a metabolizing poison will be transferred to Kim when they shake hands. The effects won’t kick in until twelve hours later, which should keep suspicion from falling on them and thus not inhibit their departure Kim’s death is expected to embolden a small faction to revolt. Aaron and Dave reluctantly agree to the mission, although Dave has second thoughts after hanging out and bonding with Kim.

To Park’s credit the dimension he gives Kim Jong-un is THE INTERVIEW’s most surprising aspect. Sure, Kim’s dignity is teased with him portrayed as a Katy Perry fan who worries that liking margaritas calls his sexuality into question, but the current North Korean president is not presented as a caricature as his father, Kim Jong-il, was in TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE. Both depictions intend to humiliate the tyrants, but in THE INTERVIEW Park plays a risible figure whose danger exists in being an overgrown child conditioned to getting his way all the time and lashing out when he doesn’t. The difference between him and a toddler throwing a tantrum is that he has missiles.

THE INTERVIEW has more bite in its satire of media that kowtow to politicians and celebrities for the sake of access. Whether it’s soft or hard news programs, the implication is that the relationship between watchers or gatekeepers and their subjects is too cozy. The truth is stage managed at the pleasure of those in the public eye rather than those with the cameras and microphones. Franco’s Skylark is a smarmy tool of his interviewees, and some of the funniest moments come in his displays of ingratiating ignorance. Franco’s energy and Rogen’s expressions of incredulity can be sufficiently amusing, although THE INTERVIEW never musters enough comedic momentum to be more than just intermittently funny.

Grade: C

Homefront

HOMEFRONT (Gary Fleder, 2013)

Two years after the bloody end of an undercover operation with a meth-cooking and distributing biker gang in HOMEFRONT, Phil Broker (Jason Statham) chooses the simple life in a small town. The widower Broker is now content to bide his time fixing up his house in Rayville, Louisiana and caring for his almost ten-year-old daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic). If he’s taught her anything, it’s how to protect herself, as she proves to a bully on the playground. The incident sparks a confrontation with the boy’s parents, Cassie (Kate Bosworth) and Jimmy Klum (Marcus Hester). Cassie provokes Jimmy into fighting Broker, who has no trouble beating him down. He considers the matter settled but is told that in this part of the country people hold on to grudges and perpetuate feuds.

Cassie has no intention of letting the situation go, so she asks her brother Gator Bodine (James Franco) to intervene. While snooping around Broker’s property Gator slashes a tire and steals a stuffed animal and pet cat before stumbling onto something Broker’s files. Learning that Broker is a former DEA agent is valuable for a guy running a meth operation out of his boat and trailer repair shop. More importantly, he discovers that Broker was involved in the case that saw Shreveport kingpin Danny T. (Chuck Zito) sent to prison and his son killed by law enforcement. With the help of his girlfriend Sheryl (Winona Ryder), Gator plans to share his knowledge of Broker’s whereabouts to the bikers so he can improve his business in the area.

Although HOMEFRONT follows a standard action thriller recipe, it cooks up like a gumbo made from basic cable dramas. Even if it’s not derivative of any one show in particular, it contains elements of BREAKING BAD, JUSTIFIED, and SONS OF ANARCHY. While the TV series have time to develop multiple storylines and well-populated worlds of characters, HOMEFRONT has to introduce and wrap up everything in the equivalent of two episodes’ time. Certainly it’s possible to tell this kind of story in a hundred minutes, but Sylvester Stallone, who adapted the screenplay from Chuck Logan’s novel, tosses in several plot points without making any of them stick. Broker’s possible romance with a school psychologist (Rachelle Lefevre) is among the inconsequential side stories delaying the big showdown.

If Stallone were younger, it’s easy to imagine him starring in HOMEFRONT himself. Nothing here seems tailored to Statham’s strengths as an action star. As just another ruthless and efficient killing machine he doesn’t get much of an opportunity to display his fighting skills. There’s little character work to do either, as Broker is a generically sketched hero with little backstory or motivation. He’s concerned for his daughter’s well-being and seems to think his colleagues used excessive force in the Shreveport incident, but otherwise little time or detail is provided to explore what makes him tick.

Franco’s presence as the primary villain offers hope that he might spice up an ordinary action picture. On the plus side, Gator conducts himself in a smarter manner than the usual antagonists in this sort of film. He has the potential to be like JUSTIFIED’s Boyd Crowder, a redneck with a devastating capacity for manipulation, but unfortunately Gator functions more as a middle man in HOMEFRONT’s conflict. If the role weren’t so bland, a bad guy with a gator tattooed the length of his right forearm could have made a perfect addition to Franco’s seemingly career-long performance art act. So it goes for the homogenized familiarity of HOMEFRONT.

Grade: C