Alison Brie

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the 2003 movie The Room, which is widely considered to be one of the worst films ever made, even as it has developed a cult following. Based on the book by The Room's star Greg Sestero, it takes a remarkably personal look at the antics of aspiring actor-filmmaker Tommy Wiseau, who is played by James Franco with gonzo charm.

In late-1990s San Francisco, Tommy meets Greg (played by Dave Franco) in an acting class. As they struggle to find work, they make a pact to support each other. After moving to Los Angeles, Tommy decides to fund his own movie from his mysterious fortune, with himself in the lead role opposite Greg. They hire a cast (including Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Zac Efron and Jacki Weaver) and crew (including Seth Rogen and Paul Scheer) and set out to film Tommy's screenplay for The Room. But everyone has second thoughts, since Tommy has no discernible skill at acting, writing or directing.

The Room is indeed a terrible film, but it's remarkable simply for the fact that Wiseau managed to make it. And by accepting that the public saw his melodramatic romance as an awkward comedy, he has actually made money from it. The irony about this story is of course that the profoundly untalented Wiseau had enough cash to finance the project himself. Franco plays him with affection: he's a jerk to everyone, and refuses to admit his age, nationality or where he got his millions, but he's tenacious and loyal. It's a terrific performance that never winks at the camera. And the Franco brothers bring superb camaraderie to the screen in what becomes a surprisingly involving bromance.

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Audiences may be divided over whether this comedy crosses the line as it looks for laughs in racism and homophobia, but the cast and crew just manage to keep the movie's heart in the right place. At its core, this is another enjoyable bromance that uses cheap gags to keep the audience chuckling awkwardly. And even if the one joke requires a certain level of gay fear, the film has enough spark and personality to poke fun at what is clearly depicted as narrow-minded paranoia.

It opens in a ludicrously expansive Bel Air mansion, where naive investor James (Will Ferrell) lives with his shark-like fiancee Alissa (Alison Brie), daughter of his boss Martin (Craig T. Nelson). Then as he's performing a duet with John Mayer at his engagement party, the feds swoop in and arrest James for embezzlement. But his innocent plea is ignored, and the judge throws the book at him, sentencing him to 10 years at the notorious San Quentin Penitentiary. With 30 days before he has to report to jail, James hires his car valet Darnell (Kevin Hart) to toughen him up for life behind bars, assuming that because he's black Darnell must surely know something about prison life. Darnell needs the cash, so he plays along, turning to his gang-member cousin Russell (Tip "T.I." Harris) for some street cred.

The script adds some clever texture in Darnell's home life with his no-nonsense wife (Dickerson), who is bemused by the fact that her nice-guy husband is pretending to be a seasoned criminal. Like her, the audience is waiting for the sham to collapse hilariously around him, but the screenplay veers off in some unexpected directions that both increase the tension and push the humour closer to the edge. Even so, the movie's core issue is the gaping divide between obscene Westside wealth and the relative economic struggle in South Central. Although director Etan Cohen never takes any of this too seriously, milking every situation for maximum absurdity.

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Inventive visuals and a seriously deranged script make this animated adventure far more enjoyable than we expect, especially as it brings out the childish creativity in everyone watching. Filmmakers Lord and Miller are experts at finding offbeat comedy in the most surprising places (see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs or 21 Jump Street). And this movie is often jaw-droppingly entertaining.

It's set in a Lego city where construction worker Emmet (voiced by Pratt) follows instructions to the letter. Like everyone else, he has been lulled into complacency by President Business (Ferrell), whose inanely catchy pop songs (the insanely hummable Everything Is Awesome!) and mindless TV shows (Where Are My Pants?) keep people from thinking creatively. He's also concocting an insidious plan involving a secret weapon called the Kragle. Then Emmet inadvertently discovers the Piece of Resistance and is declared "The Special" by the underground rebel alliance led by Wyldstyle (Banks) and Vitruvius (Freeman). With help from Batman (Arnett), a patched-up pirate (Offerman) and a groovy kitty (Brie), they go off-grid to save their civilisation, pursued by the president's vicious enforcer (Neeson).

As the story spirals from the city to the Wild West and Cloud Cuckoo Land, it develops an insane, free-wheeling tone that can't help but spark our imaginations. And the sassy 3D animation adds to this by evoking surreal stop-motion classics like Gumby or The Magic Roundabout while referencing other movies and playing merrily with iconic characters. Hill, Smulders and Tatum turn up as a trio of frustrated superheroes, while Daniels and Williams offer a bit of Star Wars silliness. All of the vocal cast members dive into their characters with energy, bringing out the warped humour and pulling us into the action and even some emotional moments.

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