Day 43: The Room

"What's bobbering you Mark"?

One of the things that draw people to film is the colossal possibilities. Like, what would it look like if we depicted a man aging backwards? What would it look like if we could create an avatar and enter an entirely new world? "The Room", released in 2003, asks a less visually striking question, but no less ambitious:

What would it look like if you kept a human being in an attic for 30 years with no human contact, gave him millions of dollars, and then told him to go write a film about the human condition? You would get this glorious train wreck of a movie.

"The Room" tells the story of a love triangle between a man named Johnny (Wiseau), his "future wife" Lisa (Danielle), and his best friend Mark (Sestero). I wish I had more to give you, but that's kind of it. What the film is really focused on is the details.

There are multiple subplots that are introduced,and promptly abandoned.For example, a character named Claudette off handedly remarks to Lisa that she has breast cancer. The issue is never brought up again. A character named Peter mysteriously disappears 20 minutes into the film, only for another character to appear randomly and assume his role. I could go on and on about the plotholes,but I'd be doing a disservice to the other aspects of this film.

The dialogue. I'll give you a taste:

Mark: How was work today?
Johnny: Oh pretty good. We got a new client... at the bank. We make a lot of money.
Mark: What client?
Johnny: I can not tell you, its confidential.
Mark: Oh come on. Why not?
Johnny: No I can't. Anyway, how is your sex life?

Lisa: Did you get your promotion?
Johnny: Nah.
Lisa: You didn't get it, did you?

Lisa: Do you want me to order a pizza?
Johnny: Whatever, I don't care.
Lisa: I already ordered a pizza.
Johnny: You think about everything, ha ha ha.


One anonymous cast member said that the script contained "stuff that was just unsayable. I know it's hard to imagine there was stuff that was worse. But there was." Ok. Moving on.


The mise en scene, if you will. From a recent issue of Harper's:

I have not mentioned the fact that " The Room" makes characters often play football while standing three feet apart, sometimes while wearing tuxedos; or that one character, for no detectable reason, collapses in pain in the middle of an otherwise procedurally sane scene; or that Johnny and Lisa, enigmatically, have around their apartment SEVERAL FRAMED PORTRAITS OF SPOONS".

Please watch this movie. No proper review would do it justice. I know this review seems like a mish mash of things, but that's what this movie is. It is by far the FUNNIEST movie I have ever seen. Run, don't walk.