20th Anniversary TLDR: The Room (2003)
Oh, hi Mark!
Plot: Johnny is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. The happy-go-lucky guy sees his world fall apart when his friends begin to betray him one-by-one.
Direction & Screenplay: This might be a controversial opinion, and please understand that this is totally serious, but...I kind of see what Tommy Wiseau was going for here. Don't get me wrong, he's a terrible filmmaker and we can only hope that English is a second language, but after what was probably my tenth viewing, I started to understand his intentions. Characters have convincing inner turmoil, everybody plays a part in the story (though it doesn't seem like that for the first nine viewings), and there's a clear attempt at a dramatic build. He just can't write it out. But once you get past all of the nonsense, and there's plenty of that, the story starts to take shape.
Performances: In rehearsals for the original production of A Streetcar Named Desire, director Elia Kazan once said of the unknown Marlon Brando, "Ever notice when you watch a lion in the zoo, the way, sensing it, slowly he'll turn his head and look straight at you without blinking? You're uneasy; the lion isn't. Brando will look at you that way." Well, Tommy always wanted to be Brando and although I'm not sure he ever achieved those heights, he's definitely the lion of this zoo - the main attraction, reserved and regal...until he needs to pounce. In fact, he's so interesting, moments without him simply aren't worth the time. Except for, of course, Dan Janjigian as Chris-R (yes, a hyphen!), he makes the most of his one scene. Everyone else, unfortunately, just doesn't know what the hell to do. But who can blame them?
Best moment: It's like choosing children.
Fun fact: Tuxedo football participation increased 800% since the 2000 Census.
Imaginary accolade: Best Use of "You're tearing me apart!" in Cinematic History
Everything is too long. Is it too long? Well, the sex scenes definitely are.
The cinema experience: I wrote about the midnight movie experience a bit back, but we revisited the movie in the recent 20th Anniversary Fathom Event. A few people knew the deal, but not enough. And we were the only people who remembered to bring plastic spoons.
Rating: You're my favorite customer.
Credit: Plot synopsis from Letterboxd via TMDb.