The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by
Greg Sestero
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
For fans of Tommy Wiseau and his 2003 masterpiece "The Room", this is comedy gold and a straight 5* for entertainment value. I was laughing so hard at various anecdotes, behind the scenes tidbits and quotes from the great man that I was frequently incapable of breath and had to completely give up reading it in public as I was getting such odd looks.
Take this as an example, after watching the dailies of one of the film's many rooftop scenes he feels they're missing a certain something. This is his proposal to improve them:
"I want my car to fly off the roof and into the sky"
When asked why by the bemused Assistant Director, he responds "It's just possible side plot. Maybe Johnny is vampire".
As this is suggested in 100% absolute seriousness, this and several other examples really capture Tommy's warped mind and complete lack of self-awareness. He's such an unique, interesting character - his life being every bit as surreal as the infamous film he writes, directs and produces.
The main issue with the book is Sestero himself. Although he writes well (aided by Tom Bissell), I'm never sure how much of a reliable narrator he is - despite Tommy's actions ranging from the diva to the borderline psychotic he still lives with the guy for months and they're essentially best friends. There are clear elements of emotional and financial blackmail here but as they still work together "promoting" The Room at midnight screenings worldwide, this all seems a little cruel and almost a hatchet job on Sestero's part.
Frustratingly the book wraps up at the film's original premiere so there's nothing really about the film's subsequent cult success and it's (rightful) celebration as the best worst film ever made - I'd be fascinated to know how an emotionally insecure person like Tommy would react to his labour of love being thought of in this way.
Jumping back and forth between their pre-film friendship and the film's production, it does hint tantalisingly at Wiseau's past (he's extremely cagey about his age, his background, his accent, where he obtained his seemingly bottomless wealth) but never digs in as much as you'd like - there's photos of Wiseau as a younger man working in various shops and trying out for acting but no interviews or attempts to track down people from those times. Maybe this isn't that book but he's such a hugely interesting person, literally stranger than fiction, that it ends up frustrating.
Still if you've ever wanted to know why there are pictures of Spoons doted around inside the condo in The Room, hear about Tommy Wiseau's acting classes and his vampiric living habits this is definitely the book for you. Guaranteed laughs but just could have been something more.
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