Best F(r)iends
Starring: Tommy Wiseau, Greg Sestero
Directed by: Justin MacGregor
Friend or Fiend? That seems to be the question in Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero's new movie. Actually there are a lot of questions swirling around Tommy Wiseau's new movie. Why is it broken up into two parts? Why does it look like Tommy Wiseau hasn't washed his hair in 3 years? Why do I feel like the central plot of this movie explains Tommy Wiseau's shady past? Ha ha, I'll leave my stupid comments in my pocket. I'm here to review Best F(r)iends, not question it!
Best F(r)iends is one of the strangest films I've ever reviewed. In terms of quality, this is better than The Room. Don't get me wrong, there are major issues that can't be ignored, but this is a movie with a plot so that is a big step for Tommy Wiseau. Speaking of the plot, it may be far-fetched, but it is explainable (unlike The Room.) You see, John (Greg Sestero) is a homeless man looking for a job. While attempting to find some way to make money, he meets a very eccentric undertaker (Tommy Wiseau.) He offers for John to work with him until he gets back on his feet. While working with him, John sees that he has thousands of gold teeth stashed in the basement of his office. John hatches a plan to sell the teeth on the black market for extra cash. Will this backhanded deal come between the new friends? Could it turn them into fiends?
What can I say about Tommy Wiseau here. His acting is...very Tommy Wiseau. If you've seen it before, you know it. His "so bad it's entertaining" style provides for many hilarious moments. He finds a way to sing, make references to . The Room, and come up with new sayings that the English language could never dream of until now.
Depending on the scene, Greg Sestero goes from a good actor to an actor who should be working in a Tommy Wiseau movie. There were times during Best F(r)iends that I thought "wow, he can really act. I wonder why he doesn't book more gigs?" Then in the next scene, he would be completely stiff in his line delivery, answering my question. I don't mean to diss him because I genuinely enjoyed seeing him reunited with Tommy in the film. I've also stated before, he's a great writer. His bookThe Disaster Artist is one of the best books I've read recently.
The cinematography of Best F(r)iends (excluding one fight scene at the end that resembles a cheap Giorgio Armani ad) actually looks decent. I have a feeling the director, Justin MacGregor, is a big Terrence Malick fan because several sequences are edited exactly like his films.
While there are some positive elements in the film, there are also many missteps. At the beginning, John doesn't speak at all (there's even a reference to him being mute.) Then he randomly starts talking about 15 minutes into the movie without explanation. The audience has no idea why this happens and we never find out. There's also some very confusing characterization. It seems as though the film is not sure who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist. At first, John appears to be the villain by going behind Harvey's back. Then the film does a 180 and tries to make us actively root for him and against Harvey. Ha ha, what can I say Mark? I guess that's what you get with a big Hollywood production!
I'm not going to rate Best F(r)iends on a number scale because there are way too many variables at play.
Rating: If you're a Tommy Wiseau or The Room fan, you will find this entertaining. If you have no idea what I've been talking about, then this is not for you.