The Best and Worst of James Franco

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Sausage Party" star James Franco.

Films starring James Franco that I've seen:
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Annapolis
Spider-Man 3
Pineapple Express
Milk
Date Night
127 Hours
Your Highness
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Oz: The Great and Powerful
Spring Breakers
This is the End
Lovelace 
As I Lay Dying
Homefront
The Interview
True Story
The Night Before

Best Performance: 127 Hours (2010)
Because of the sheer volume of projects he's starred in and the recent success he's found in the world of comedy, Franco's dramatic acting ability is largely forgotten about. When he's on the top of his game like he was as Aron Ralston-the Utah hiker that miraculously survived being trapped in a secluded slot canyon for 127 hours by cutting his own arm off-in the survival drama 127 Hours, I truly believe that Franco is one of the most gifted dramatic actors on the planet. With no other people to interact with after the first 15 minutes of the film, Franco does a beautiful job of carrying the film with an emotionally-dense performance that highlights the various attitude changes and bravery Ralston displayed throughout the most harrowing 127 hours of his life. Without Franco's acting range and the feeling of authenticity he brought to the role, 127 Hours would've more than likely been a generic, melodramatic bore.

Worst Performance: Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)
When you work as much and cross genres as often Franco does, you're bound to walk into some bad roles from time to time. Franco's biggest and most confusing misstep to-date came in his role as Oscar Diggs-the pleasant magician who eventually becomes the Wizard of Oz- in this misguided, dull prequel to the iconic 1939 film. The creepy, awkward vibe Franco gives Oz makes for a really strange take on a character that's supposed to be universally beloved. A lot of factors led to the failure of Oz: The Great and Powerful, but the severe miscasting of Franco in the lead role was definitely near the top of the list. 

Best Film: This is the End (2013)
No comedy released so far this decade can match the non-stop hilarity, originality and endless quotability of This is the End. Seth Rogen and his team of frequent collaborators delivered their most inspired work in ages with this completely insane, often pitch-black satire centered around a group of celebrities that are attending a party at James Franco's house when the apocalypse suddenly happens. The large, ensemble cast led by Rogen, Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel and Craig Robinson all deliver phenomenal, self-deprecating performances as exaggerated versions of themselves and the film somehow manages to get funnier with each repeat viewing.

Worst Film: As I Lay Dying (2013)
As far as I'm concerned, Franco's much-maligned adaptation of William Faulkner's classic novel deserves every piece of venom-filled criticism that's been hurled at it. The entire production feels cheap, the pacing is unbearably slow and the regular split-screens to document the story's many parallel narratives is one of the most frustrating and dumb gimmicks I've ever seen employed in a film. I really hope the incompetency he displayed as a filmmaker here doesn't carry over to his upcoming big-screen adaptation of The Disaster Artist (aka The Masterpiece),the brilliant behind-the -scenes story of the making of the 2003 "so bad that it's genius" cult phenomenon The Room.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "War Dogs" star Jonah Hill.