Film Review: The Room

A couple of blogs back, I was talking about how it's hard to say much about a classic film. What more can be said about The Godfather? Is there really anymore insight you can give Raging Bull? It's like the exact opposite for The Room.

Universally derided as the worst film ever made, The Room comes pretty damn close to it. But, I watched it all the way through, whereas films in the past have just gone off, or have been walked out of. The key to what makes The Room watchable is that it's so bad it's good. It is a serious rival to Troll 2 for the title of 'Best Worst Movie'.

There has been discussion that lead actor/writer/director/weirdo Tommy Wiseau made this film as a joke and it's meant to be funny. It's not. It can't be, there is just so much off the wall stuff where you can see they are trying to be serious but it just doesn't happen.

The plot, for what it's worth is about Johnny (Tommy Wiseau), a big city banker engaged to Lisa (Juliette Danielle) but she wants to leave him and is having it away with Johnny's best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). That's it really. The same plot points are made again and again and again and again. Johnny and Mark are best friends. Lisa wants to leave Johnny. There are characters in this film (such as Lisa's friend Michelle, her mother and other friend of Johnny, Peter) whose sole purpose is for these points to be raked over repeatedly.

Almost as constant are the sex scenes. Within the first 25 minutes we are 'treated' to three lengthy sessions, all accompanied by cheesy soft rock or R 'n' B. It's like a soft porn, but with worse acting.

Oh, the acting. Everyone is terrible. But Tommy Wiseau takes things to a whole new level. If you're not wetting yourself laughing at what he says, you're wondering what the hell his accent is. I googled it. No one seems to know.

But as bad as...well everything about the film is, it's ridiculously entertaining. You will be quoting it for months ("Hey doggy", "Anyway, how's your sex life" and personal favourite "I did not hit her...I did NAWT".) It truly is a cult film in the truest sense of the word (it was only after it achieved cult status for being terrible that Wiseau started saying it was supposed to be a comedy.)

Why is it called The Room I hear you ask. I don't know that either. To hazard a guess, is because most of the film is set in a living room. But not all of it, it does venture onto a roof, outside by a wall (for some tuxedo football throwing), and of course the bedroom (a lot), but no real clue really. But somehow it cost $6,000,000 to make. I demand you watch it, just to try and tell me where the money went!

Sadly (I guess), The Room is currently available on DVD or Blu-Ray in this country, and quite hard to find on import but if you enjoy getting your friends round to revel in a terrible film, it's worth hunting out.

Film - *

Entertainment - *****

A terrible, terrible attempt at a movie. A massive melodramatic, repetitive, badly acted mess with corny music, pointless dialogue and characters. But it's all these things that make it so addictive. Sit back, grab a vodka and whiskey, and "Don't worry about it!"