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James Franco directs and co-stars with his brother Dave in The Disaster Artist. the true story of two men of questionable talent who move to Hollywood and spend millions of dollars making one the worst movies ever made, The Room. Franco emerses himself in the role of Tommy Wiseau, a weird, kinda-creepy dude of indiscernable age and heritage. His accent sounds a little European, but Tommy insists he’s from New Orleans. Nobody knows where he got his millions, either. So he’s a bit of an enigma, just like Franco. So the casting is kismet. I’m not sure if it’s a really great performance, but it’s definitely an entertaining impersonation. Dave Franco plays Greg Sestero, a young acting student who befriended the eccentric Wiseau and ended up making The Room with him.

The Disaster Artist focuses on the two men and how the movie’s production took its toll on their friendship. As bizarre as Wiseau is — in real life and in this movie — I came away with the impression that he’s a pretty lonely guy who just wanted to make a new friend. The Room may have been an attempt to forge a surrogate family. I empathize with a guy who doesn’t want to feel isolated and talked about behind his back. I think that’s what humanizes Wiseau for the audience, holding at bay his delusions of granduer. The movie has a happy ending because Wiseau and Sestero are still friends. The fact that The Room turned out to be so awful that it’s now programmed around the world at midnight screenings and has made both men famous — well, that’s just icing on the cake.

With supporting and cameo performances by Seth Rogen, Melanie Griffith, Judd Apatow, Megan Mullally, Josh Hutcherson, Zac Efron, Bryan Cranston, Charlyne Yi, Sharon Stone, Bob Odenkirk, and other faces you’re sure to recognize.