Crisp Criticism - "The Disaster Artist", "Coco", "Wonder", "Only the Brave"

by

Julien Faddoul

The Disaster Artist **

In a San Francisco acting class in the late 1990’s, actor Greg Sestero met the enigmatic and suspiciously wealthy Tommy Wiseau. They moved to Los Angeles and made a film that would become a cult hit for being one of the worst of all time.

A difficult film to survey through, for its purpose is unclear, despite its flighty presentation. The notion of accidental artistic success being achieved through incompetence and personal secrecy is anything but flighty, and in the case of Wiseau and The Room (2003), it is at best, pathetic, and at worst, dangerous. Franco’s uncanny interpretation of Wiseau is brilliant, as are the meticulous recreations of his nonsensical film.

d – James Franco

w – Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber   (Based on the Book by Greg Sestero, Tom Bissell)

ph – Brandon Trost

pd – Chris L. Spellman

m – Dave Porter

ed – Stacey Schroeder

cos – Brenda Abbandandolo

p – James Franco, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Vince Jolivette, James Weaver

Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Jacki Weaver, Zac Efron, June Diane Raphael, Andrew Santino, Nathan Fielder, Hannibal Buress, Megen Mullally, Bryan Crantston, Sharon Stone, Melanie Griffith, Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, Sugar Lyn Beard, Eliza Coupe, Zoey Deutch

Coco **

A Mexican boy, an aspiring musician, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead on Día de Muertos to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.

Gorgeously rendered, tender Pixar film that doesn’t really offer anything new in content that the studio hasn’t already examined, including ancestral respect, acceptance of death and the compelling influence that artists have on the world.

d – Lee Unkrich

co-d – Adrian Molina

w – Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich

ph – Danielle Feinberg, Matt Aspbury

pd – Harley Jessup

m – Michael Giacchino

ed – Steve Bloom

p – Darla K. Anderson

Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Edward James Olmos, Antonio Sol, Alfonso Aráu

Wonder *

A boy with facial differences attends a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

Saccharine for sure, but mostly charming hogwash with an aggressive, almost egalitarian desire to ensure the happy conclusions of every character.

d – Stephen Chbosky

w – Stephen Chbosky, Steve Conrad, Jack Thorne   (Based on the Novel by R.J. Palacio)

ph – Don Burgess

pd – Kalina Ivanov

m – Marcelo Zarvos

ed – Mark Livolsi

cos – Monique Prudhomme

p – David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman

Cast: Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Mandy Patinkin, Daveed Diggs, Izabela Vidovic, Noah Jupe, Danielle Rose Russell, Nadji Jeter

Only the Brave *

Members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots battle deadly wildfires to save an Arizona town.

Heartfelt but fairly typical piece of modernist flag-waving, based on true events, that stands out because of its cast and some excellent visual effects.

d – Joseph Kolinski

w – Ken Nolan, Eric Warren Singer   (Based on the Article by Sean Flynn)

ph – Claudio Miranda

pd – Kevin Kavanaugh

m – Joseph Trapanese

ed – Billy Fox

cos – Louise Mingenbach

p – Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Erik Howsam, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Michael Menchel, Dawn Ostroff, Molly Smith, Jeremy Steckler

Cast: Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly, James Badge Dale, Taylor Kitsch, Andie MacDowell, Geoff Stults, Alex Russell