THE DISASTER ARTIST

James Franco     Seth Rogen     Dave Franco     Josh Hutcherson     Alison Brie     Zac Efron

      What a quintessential James Franco production!  Is there anyone else who could take a cult film like The Room, duplicate parts of it, and then make it his own?  Beyond that, it rings so many bells as you watch it, beginning with its star, Tommy Wiseau (J. Franco), an oddball character who makes you smile and turn away at the same time.  A clown-like figure, he lives in his own world, and has enough resources that he can pull everyone around him into his reality, and is genuinely hurt when they start backing off.  It’s a bit sad, too, that everyone stays with him so long as they’re getting a paycheck.  But he retains one loyal friend.

     The story is about the making of a film called “The Room”, which is written, directed, produced, and acted in by Tommy.  (Keep in mind, The Room is an actual film that tanked, but later became a cult classic.)  This story is based on a memoir written by one of the film’s protagonists, Greg Sistero.  So The Disaster Artist is a bit about Gregg (D. Franco), who is an aspiring actor who lives with his mother.  He manages to strike up a conversation with a classmate he admires in his acting class, hoping to get his advice.  Tommy surprises him by instantly taking a liking to him and inviting him to room together in Los Angeles where he has an apartment.  Neither has much luck in scoring roles, so Tommy decides he’ll write his own script, casting the two of them as characters.

     The rest of the story is about the freewheeling production of the movie, with Tommy being the most unpredictable factor.  It remains a mystery as to how he has the money to finance the film, or even where he is from or how old he is.  In addition to James and his brother Dave, the cast includes Seth Rogen, Josh Hutcherson, Alison Brie, Zac Efron, Kristen Bell, Megan Mulally, and others, with cameos by Brian Cranston, Adam Scott, and Judd Apatow. 

     Despite James Franco’s talented acting here, this is something of a “nothing” movie that will leave many viewers cold; although, granted, many find it a hoot and have thoroughly enjoyed it.  I’m in the former camp; although I enjoyed the performances, it seems pretty senseless to me.

The remake of a cult movie that is intended to be funny, but isn’t very.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 2

Jennifer Lawrence   Josh Hutcherson   Liam Hemsworth   Woody Harrelson   Donald Sutherland   Julianne Moore   Elizabeth Banks   Stanley Tucci, Philip Seymour Hoffman

          Mockingjay Part 2 is a fitting and tender ending to the Hunger Games series based on Suzanne Collins’ books.  Most of Part 2 is very dark, and we lose key people during the battle to undermine the Capitol and get rid of President Snow (Sutherland).  The rebels, led by Alma Coin (Moore) with Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) as a figurehead, hope to establish a free state in which democracy is the rule.  Peeta (Hutcherson), whose mind got jumbled when he was captured by Snow, is angry and paranoid about Katniss, but with the support of the core group will gradually get things sorted out.

      Pursued by Snow’s troops and risking their lives avoiding pockets of embedded weapons throughout the city, Katniss and her group make their way to the Capitol to achieve their mission, forging the underground sewer system and hiding out in the Hunger Games’ former stylist Tigris’ lair for a short rest, they receive the announcement from Snow that the city is to be evacuated to the Capitol where they will receive food, clothing, and health care.  This seems like a perfect opportunity to get to the capital by disguising themselves in Tigris’ store of clothes, and they make their way in the midst of the crowds.

      Although they are still guarded and afraid, the group forges on, but sabotage and betrayals are still ahead.  Who will survive, and will they be able to accomplish their mission?

Director Francis Lawrence and screenplay writers Peter Craig and Danny Strong improved this production as compared to part 1; however, neither holds up to the exciting, creative work done with Catching Fire.  For some reason (and acknowledging that I have not read Collins’ books), Katniss is much more passive in 2 and 3 than she was in Catching Fire, where she was like a ball of fire.  I prefer the more heroic, three-dimensional version of her in the first installment.

        Lawrence is a fine actress and performs at her best here, given the script.  Hutcherson and Hemsworth, rival suitors for her affections, are also very good, and have a discussion about their rivalry, unaware that she is listening to them.  It is a sweet, heartfelt moment, and one of the only scenes where humor comes into play. 

        Brief glimpses of Harrelson, Sutherland, Moore, Banks, and Tucci are rewarding to see, artfully playing the significant characters we’ve come to know.  It was bittersweet to see the late Philip Seymour Hoffman looking as if he had just acted out his part.  How we miss him!

A fitting conclusion to a popular series of fantasy fiction.

Grade:  C By Donna R. Copeland