STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI - But Not Least

Note: Spoilers to maximum. Prepare to fire.

"Amazing. Everything you just said was... wrong. The Rebellion is reborn today. The war has just begun."

- Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Star Wars: The Last Jedi

In the aftermath of The Force Awakens, the world got Star Wars fever all over again. It was cool again to like Star Wars as opposed to having to hide it away in public for fear of Jar Jar jokes. This was naturally due to the fact that multinational conglomerate Disney now owned the franchise (and as of this writing pretty much everything else). They followed it up the coming year with Rogue One, a standalone film that proved the franchise was capable of going in different directions if just for one film. But the next film would be the real test. Would audiences come back for more? Had the new cast garnered enough goodwill for fans past and present? And most importantly: would Mark Hamill actually get to recite dialogue?

Enter Rian Johnson: a true maverick filmmaker. Starting from his first film, the Joseph Gordon-Levitt crime mystery Brick, Johnson established himself as a director that would go after storytelling with raw emotion. Following this up, Johnson would lighten his tone with the con-man comedy The Brothers Bloom, this time teaming with actors Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo. This jokey action movie would later lead to him directing one episode of "Terriers", a short-lived but cult favorite television series (maybe we should give a big-time franchise movie to the guy who directed the pilot episode?). Johnson went back to his darker roots with three episodes of the critically acclaimed series "Breaking Bad", with his final episode "Ozymandias" quickly scoring a perfect 10/10 on IMDb after its initial airing. In 2012, Johnson directed his biggest movie (until today), Looper - a massively mind-bending sci-fi/thriller starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as one hitman at two different ages. With all of these achievements, and all of them being all original material, what could one of the world's most popular film franchises ever have to offer to Rian Johnson?

In the aftermath of destroying the massive Starkiller Base, the Resistance quickly begins an evacuation with General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) in charge. As they are escaping, they quickly discover that they have very low fuel reserves and are hours away from destruction by the pursuing First Order led by General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson). Together, ex-Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and a young Rebel engineer named Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) launch a plan to find a code-breaker to help them break onto a First Order ship and disable it, so the Resistance can escape. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has tracked down the missing Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) so that not only can he assist the efforts of the Resistance but so she can be taught in the ways of the Force. However, the years have worn down the formerly optimistic farm boy and Luke has become quite cynical and believes that the Jedi should die with him. However, after seeing Rey's determination, he reluctantly agrees to train her. Rey soon finds herself troubled by conversations she has through the Force with her nemesis, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who wants nothing more than to turn her over to his Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and kill Skywalker - his former teacher - himself.

This was an exhilarating movie. The cast, most of which has returned from The Force Awakens, has never been better. Every character gets their time to shine, which is good considering there are a LOT of them. Finn & Rose, a new character we are introduced to, work well off each other as Finn is having to live up to the Resistance hero image that Rose associates him with. Poe and Leia have great back and forth dialogue, yet I cannot say I am happy with Laura Dern as Holdo. She gets introduced near the middle of the movie and she immediately takes a dislike to Poe, without any real motive. It gets hinted that she is a traitor to the Resistance but that is thrown out the window. Maybe she had more to do and more to endear audiences with in a longer version of the movie, but as it stands she does not offer much except for giving her life to help save the Resistance. 

Mark Hamill delivers a dynamite performance that gives laughs, cheers and even frights at times as Luke Skywalker. Naturally, after his 30 second performance at the end of The Force Awakens, many were confused and/or disappointed that Mark Hamill had relatively nothing to do. That is changed with The Last Jedi. Hamill is allowed to let loose with his performance, in very much the same way Harrison Ford did in the previous film. You get the sense that Hamill was tired of playing (and being identified as) the goody-two-shoes character that Luke was in the Original Trilogy. Here, he is giving broad drama where he feels much guilt for having failed Yoda and Obi-Wan at restarting the Jedi Order and for ruining the life of Ben Solo who became Kylo Ren. There is a series of flashbacks in the film, and while flashbacks are not centrally used in Star Wars, it shows both Luke and Kylo Ren's point-of-view of the night Kylo turned. In Kylo's version, Luke is terrifying with murder in his eyes. In Luke's version, he is "filled with shame" for having considered killing Ben with his lightsaber. We all make mistakes, even Jedi.

The big unspoken element of the film is that this is Carrie Fisher's final film. But to give the filmmakers credit, if this was to be her swan song, what a swan song it is. Leia plays an enormous part of the plot to the film and you can tell Fisher was enjoying every minute of it. She gets to literally slap around Poe Dameron in their first scene together and it is really funny. Without giving too much away, there is a segment in the film where Leia seemingly dies and I have to admit I was in disbelief. There was no way she was going to die in this movie if she had already died in real life; Carrie Fisher, tragically, lost her life but the character of Leia Organa is immortal. Naturally, she finds a way to survive and continues to lead the fight well into the end of the movie. The end credits dedicates the film to her.

Disney continues their hit-streak of bringing life back to Star Wars. They got Abrams to resuscitate it, had Edwards check its memory and now Johnson has checked its pulse. Weeks before its release, Disney and Lucasfilm announced that Johnson would be heading up his own standalone Star Wars trilogy after Episode IX. If this film is any indication, Johnson is not only well-suited but perfect for the job. Last Jedi is a thrilling, funny and riveting experience. There are quite a few nice surprises, jawdropping reveals and extreme excitement to be had. I highly encourage everybody to see it as quickly as possible. In IMAX, if possible. 

THE DISASTER ARTIST: What a Story

Note: Leave your stupid SPOILERS in your pocket!

"Los Angeles, everybody want to be star. You have to be the best and never give up."

- Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), The Disaster Artist

There is no one on Earth like Tommy Wiseau. Some have speculated he can not possibly come from Earth. But his story and how he became the 21st century equivalent of Ed Wood cannot be anything but some of the most human stuff you will ever hear about. I am talking about The Room, a 2003 film - a "dark comedy" masquerading as a Tennessee Williams-style melodrama - starring and written and produced and directed by Wiseau himself. It is a movie so laughably bizarre and enjoyably bad that it truly has become infamous. Hundreds of midnight screenings have been shown all over the world with Wiseau often attending and playing football with many of the attendees. But he has kept most of his own life shrouded in secrecy. It would keep even the most seasoned investigator up many sleepless nights just trying to decipher his accent. Fortunately, his best friend seemed to be up to the task.

Actor Greg Sestero, Wiseau's co-star in The Room and probably Wiseau's longest-lasting friend, found himself caught up in the cult cyclone following the film's release. The movie improbably had found an audience in people who loved “so bad it’s good” films. It had marathon showings on [adult swim] during April Fools’ Day (including an interview with Space Ghost). Wiseau and Sestero have both been on CNN, discussing the movie’s remarkable success story. Rather than dissuade himself from the potential embarrassment at being associated with it, Sestero decided to tell the full story of the making of the film. He and journalist Tom Bissell began writing the book, "The Disaster Artist" and released it in 2013 to worldwide acclaim. Fans of the film were delighted at all the behind-the-scenes madness being revealed while more serious critics were intrigued at the captivating story of not giving up on one's dreams. Naturally, Hollywood came calling. 

Greg (Dave Franco) is a young man struggling to make it in Los Angeles and to be taken seriously as an actor. In the midst of one of his acting classes, he finds himself awestruck by the fearlessness of one of his classmates, a mysterious man known only as Tommy (James Franco) who, despite having dubious talent, gives his all. Wanting to get to know him better, Greg begins a reluctant friendship with Tommy who agrees on the condition that Greg will never divulge anything personal he may learn about him. As the two of them become close friends, they become frustrated that no one in Hollywood will take a chance with them. Offhandedly, Greg suggests making their own movie. This throwaway comment lights a creative spark in Tommy that launches a major production: The Room. Greg warily agrees to play a role in the film as the best friend of the lead character, Johnny, played by Tommy. As their fellow cast and crew slowly begin to realize, The Room is not just a multi-million dollar vanity project by a madman but also the fast lane to the breaking of their sanity.

The Disaster Artist is the culmination of one of the most surprising underdog stories in Hollywood history. It is a vindication to all who have suffered through the film that there was something there that perhaps they did not see upon first viewing. In lesser hands, the movie would simply collapse on its "you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it" approach, but James Franco shines both as director and star. He builds a great camaraderie with his own brother Dave playing Greg. I must admit I had fears when the first teaser trailer was released as it seemed that James was simply doing a Tommy Wiseau impression. I am happy to say I was wrong and that he has enveloped himself in all things Wiseau in a way that almost does not seem possible, outside of Tommy himself. He perfectly captured Tommy's manners and speech patterns. The movie introduces a story element that does not come from the book so I am not sure of its authenticity: Tommy goes on various auditions and is eventually told by an acting teacher (Bob Odenkirk) that he may be best suited in playing a monstrous villain. Troubled by this, Tommy refuses this advice, believing he can be an American hero. This gives Tommy a humanity that might be harder to see without said motivation.

Where the movie falters is in the supporting cast. Ultimately, the movie is the story of Greg and Tommy. Casting a lot of famous faces brings the movie legitimacy but not much else. Naturally, fellow Frat Pack member Seth Rogen has a part as Sandy Schklair, The Room production's seemingly sole voice of reason, but he does not have many more scenes outside of what one sees in the trailer. Also, in the movie, he and Paul Scheer playing Raphael Smadja, The Room's director of photography, are fired off-screen. In the book, Schklair left the film's production because he was offered a job with Steven Spielberg's cinematographer Janusz Kamiński and Scheer's character stormed off the set after Tommy refused to find a new line producer after the job was basically forced upon Greg. I understand that it would have taken away a lot of screen time from the movie, but something better than nothing would have been preferred.

Another problem I have with the movie is the pacing. The movie, after a questionable "love letter" prelude featuring J.J. Abrams, Kevin Smith, Kristen Bell and Adam Scott, starts off on a breakneck speed going from scene-to-scene-to-scene. Once it stops and slows down to catch its breath, it does become very compelling. The book alternates chapters of the making of The Room and the real story of Greg and Tommy's friendship; it breaks up monotony and also allows for good laughs after very serious passages. The movie is straight linear from the first time Greg meets Tommy to the premiere of The Room; it takes forever to get to what the movie is being sold on - the making of the greatest bad movie ever made. There is also a whole section of the book dedicated to delving into Tommy's past; or at least a fairly convincing theory of his past. It is nowhere to be found in the movie. The ending of the movie finds Tommy quickly embracing the notion to call The Room a black comedy as opposed to the melodrama he intended it to be. This did not happen until after The Room was discovered by two college students in the final week of its bare theatrical release. But, I get it; it is only a two-hour movie and it needs a happy ending.

The Room is the best bad movie ever made. The story of how it got made is unconventional. The man who got it made is incomprehensible. The way it took the world by storm is unbelievable. I deeply implore you, if you have never seen the movie: please give it a try. You may be bewildered, you may be angered but you just might be enraptured by its madness. The Disaster Artist is the blaze of glory that The Room has finally attained; the same Hollywood that would not accept Tommy is now putting his implausible story onto the silver screen. As Tommy would no doubt say, "You can laugh, you can cry, but don't hurt yourself."

P.S. Wait around for the very end of the credits for a post-credits surprise.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

In the interest of full disclosure, this author must admit a serious bias towards the source material. In that I am a massive fan of The Room. I have been to both the RiffTrax version of The Room (in theaters, not live in Nashville) and the unriffed version (here in Memphis) with hundreds of shouting fans. I also bought The Room on Blu-Ray for $36 (it did not just come with the movie but also a draw-string backpack and the T-shirt you see me wearing above), but it was worth in that Tommy Wiseau signed it to me personally; you can request this if you purchase this through his official website. And to top it off, I was able to meet the one-and-only Greg Sestero when he came to town as part of a book festival. He talked about the book, Tommy, making The Room and near the end of his panel, he invited folks to come on stage to read from the original draft of The Room's script. When it came time to offer the role of Johnny, I turned around to see how many hands would go up. None of them did. Nobody was making their way to the stage. I thought, "Screw it. This is truly once-in-a-lifetime." So I went onstage to read Johnny in a shameful Tommy Wiseau impression opposite Greg Sestero. Greg was a true gentleman, very kind and patient. I responded by accidentally saying, "Hi, Mark," instead of his real name. Whoops! Still, the experience was genuinely thrilling. I got to take a picture with him, he signed my Blu-Ray copy of The Room and my hardcover copy of "The Disaster Artist". I think the world of Tommy and Greg and respect their immense talent. They have a new movie coming soon called Best F(r)iends that I am most definitely seeing the first chance I get.