intentionally funny > unintentionally funny

Rating: 9/10 (3 October 2019)

The Disaster Artist falls in the genre of films in which an unsure individual meets a charismatic, free-spirited dynamo who opens him up to the possibilities of the world. Only this time that guru character is a delusional no-talent.
This is the hilarious story of the world's worst film director, and the movie gives you pretty much the guy as he displayed himself in his terrible movie The Room. James Franco perfectly captures the character, offering someone weird and clueless but also sometimes likable and insanely self-confident (his confidence and pathological lying would make him a great addition to the Trump administration).
The film seems targeted at those who have seen The Room; an end-credits sequence shows that they worked very hard to make their recreations exactly like the original, which will be appreciated by those who have gone to many midnight showings. I have seen The Room (painfully inept), but I feel even if you haven't you'll find this very funny.
The story is told from the viewpoint of his friend Greg. Dave Franco's performance is pretty good, but while the mysterious weirdness of Tommy is a lot of the movie's appeal, ultimately I felt I didn't know much more about Greg. He isn't as crazy as Tommy, but what is he? Is he just kind of dumb? There's an opaqueness to Dave's performance that keeps the movie from moving beyond superficiality.
So it's not deep, it doesn't have much to say, and the character of Greg never goes much beyond - guy who wants to be an actor. But it's freaking hilarious. I don't understand people who watch The Room over and over, but I would definitely watch this again.