The Room Returns – Movie Review
In 2003, cinema was changed forever.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. X-Men 2. Finding Nemo.
Tommy Wiseau’s The Room.
The great American movie… made by someone who definitely wasn’t American. But goddamn, did he love America.
Often regarded as “the best worst movie ever made”, The Room did not have any critical acclaim or success when Tommy released his independently financed (the source of the money is still undisclosed to this day, despite many theories about where it may have come from) drama that follows a love triangle between Johnny (Wiseau), his “future-wife” Lisa (Julitette Danielle),and Mark (Greg Sestero) that causes dramatic ripples through the relationships and dynamics between the multitude of characters who are entangled within the main trio’s lives.
But, this is not a review of The Room. Nor is it a historical retelling of how this movie got made. For those, I recommend: firstly, attend a screening with diehard fans and experience the interactive wonder that has emerged from this film. And secondly, read Sestero’s biography, The Disaster Artist, for a wildly entertaining, funny, and poignant recollection of the insanity that unfolded behind the camera that led to even more insanity that emerged on camera. Plus, the documentary Room Full of Spoons is also worth a watch.
The reason The Room is considered objectively bad is because, despite a sincere effort to make a decent movie, Wiseau had zero experience as a writer, director, and actor. Rather than cutting his teeth trying to build his skill set with short films, or film school (he did however do some acting classes, see The Disaster Artist), Wiseau just went out and did the thing. And there is something to be admired about that. But, his lack of skill and his passionate determination led to The Room. It’s not a good movie, but there is something underneath the surface that can absolutely be appreciated. As terribly funny as it is, it’s hard not to admire the effort.
Now, 20-plus years later, comedian Bob Odenkirk and filmmaker Brando Crawford have teamed up in hopes to answer every cinephile’s most wondered question: can The Room actually be good?
Thus, The Room Returns. Not a remake of The Room, but rather a completely sincere and dramatic reimagining of Wiseau’s original screenplay, all filmed on a green screen, for charity through Crawford’s Acting For A Cause. And the result is truly amazing, especially if you are someone who is deeply ingrained within the lore and world of The Room.
Odenkirk takes on the role of Johnny, and brings a genuine dramatic sincerity to Wiseau’s often off-kilter dialogue. For those who have seen Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul, it’s no surprise to see the traditionally comic Odenkirk be able to turn on the dramatic gravitas, and he does so in his turn as Johnny. His complete submission to the quirks of Johnny lead to fascinating results, playing the more showy role with a strong sense of pained nuance as Odenkirk finds an authentic way to portray a man slowly unravelling through his (pre)marital betrayal. The result is something that still manages to carry as much unintended humour as Wiseau’s portrayal does, but in the moments where the drama feels quite real, the emotional pull works. It doesn’t work enough to make Wiseau’s absolutely wild script work on the level it needs to make The Room good per se, but there’s a spark there that’s undeniable.
Outside of Odenkirk, there is an array of actors who threw their hands up to take on some of the infamously iconic roles. And it’s so apparent on screen that everyone is having a damn good time doing it. Bella Heathcote brings a lovely girl-next-door and scheming demon duality to Lisa; Kate Siegel is hilarious as Lisa’s mother, donning a terribly funny wig; filmmaker Mike Flanagan shows up in the role of Peter and authentically sells playing tuxedo football; and Crawford chews up the “Sest-osterone” as Mark. Hell, even Greg Sestero himself shows up to give his take on Chris-R, which funnily enough might’ve been the best performance in the original film! The performances are in on the joke that The Room has been running with for the last 23 years, whether that was the original film’s initial intention or not, and that really adds a strong element of fun to be had with The Room Returns.
I think what I noticed and appreciated the most about The Room Returns is that it’s not trying to recreate exactly what Wiseau was going for in the early 2000s. Sure, the super-imposed backgrounds are photos of the original films sets, and the costuming and makeup is heavily inspired by the 2003 film. But The Room is singular. Only Tommy Wiseau could have made that film. Brando Crawford and Bob Odenkirk know this, and they obviously love The Room for that.
But like all good art, it’s fun to see it reinterpreted, especially something so singular like The Room. And the itch that was created by the curiosity that stemmed from everything about that movie, both behind and in front of the camera, is somewhat scratched a little bit here.
You can rent The Room Returns here, with 100% of net proceeds from this release benefit amfAR and Blue Collaborative’s charitable mission.
