THE STORY – As their marriage unravels, Alex faces middle age and divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife Tess confronts sacrifices made for their family, forcing them to navigate co-parenting and identities.
THE CAST – Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper, Andra Day, Christine Ebersole & Ciarán Hinds
THE TEAM – Bradley Cooper (Director/Writer), Will Arnett & Mark Chappell (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 113 Minutes
You’d think, the way people talk about Bradley Cooper now as an artist, that his divergence toward filmmaking has been some sort of disaster. In fact, the writer, director, producer, and actor has only flourished, receiving acclaim for his two films, “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro.” The latter marked the point when a divide began to form, as people who latched onto Cooper’s eager enthusiasm for his work found ammunition for a campaign that felt more targeted toward him as an individual than as an artist. While Cooper’s last two films, both music-based dramas, gradually grew in scale, he takes a step back for his third turn in the director’s chair. “Is This Thing On?” also finds Cooper stepping away from the spotlight as the lead performer in his work, passing the baton to longtime friend and co-writer Will Arnett. It is a collaboration many, like myself, never expected to happen, yet it mostly works, even if the film itself is a bit too ubiquitous to establish its own identity.
Cooper, who describes the film as navigating a “midlife catharsis,” focuses on a story about rediscovering oneself during one of life’s most common experiences: divorce. Audiences see Arnett’s Alex Novak going through the motions of life, particularly during his separation from his wife Tess, played by Laura Dern. He is putting on an act as best he can, though Arnett accurately captures the expressions of a man who looks like he desperately wants to be hit by oncoming traffic. It is that weathered energy he can so perfectly tap into with his voice alone that made his work on “BoJack Horseman” resonate with so many. Here, his character is far less self-absorbed, a decent family man desperate for some form of solace from a life turned upside down. In Alex’s case, that peace ends up blossoming from an accidental, weed-cookie-induced wandering into a comedy club in the West Village. At this club, a simple stand-up routine, performed purely to avoid paying a cover charge, leads Alex to discover something new to live for. This unearthing of Alex’s desire to perform stand-up comedy forces him to reexamine who he is as a partner, as a father, and most importantly, as an individual if he is ever to move forward with his life.
On a directorial front, “Is This Thing On?” finds Cooper’s direction at its most understated, almost the opposite of what he has been building toward. Creatively, it is a clever rug pull that injects some variety into his filmmaking, at least stylistically. Gone are the elaborately staged sequences, such as the opening of “Maestro,” replaced by Cooper himself lugging around the camera alongside cinematographer Matthew Libatique. The film, which opts for longer takes, instills a sense of intrusive intimacy. Libatique keeps the camera close to the cast, and the handheld nature of it all aids the naturalistic performances Cooper draws from his ensemble. Libatique’s work elevates the performers, particularly in the first sequence, where Arnett performs his act. It is a moment heavily featured in the trailer, as Arnett’s Alex stands on stage, finding his rhythm with an audience giving just the right amount of laughter to fuel him. Cooper keeps the camera trained on his face, letting us see Arnett in real time, formulating jokes as his character makes them up on a whim. It also becomes a visual representation of Alex’s growth as a performer. As his confidence builds, the camera, like the energy of his act, becomes less stagnant.
Arnett, under Cooper’s direction, is excellent, moving away from his long track record of playing buffoonish comedic characters in favor of what is easily his best dramatic performance to date. He is given thematically meatier material, especially when sharing most of his screen time with Dern, who is, as always, consistently good. The screenplay by Cooper, Arnett, and Mark Chappell keeps “Is This Thing On?” from ever entirely breaking free. Yet, it still delivers a shockingly raw portrayal of unspoken emotions that burrow through the bonds partners fight to keep alive. Even though a section of the film is dedicated to Tess’s perspective and the aspirations she desperately tries to reconnect with, it ultimately does not work because the film is far more focused on one side of the relationship. While adapted from the life of a real comedian, the story clearly draws deeply from the real-life experiences of Cooper and Arnett, both entertainers with children who have faced the hardships of divorce. Cooper has even admitted that many of the film’s key locations were inspired by his love of the West Village.
Not only does the film feel less interested in Tess, but the stripped-back nature of the dialogue also makes many conversations feel repetitive to watch. Maybe that reflects how we, as humans, talk to those closest to us —constantly revisiting the same topics —but at least real life gives us a break from it. Cinematically, time can only be conveyed so efficiently. There are only so many times one can watch Arnett perform the same stand-up material as a form of therapy before it becomes less effective and more redundant.
Even if most of Alex’s sets fall more into ranting than joke-telling, there is still humor to be found. Much of it comes from Cooper’s on-screen presence as the drugged-up working actor Arnie, a character seemingly designed as a playful jab at the public persona many assume Cooper to have in real life. He is pretentious and inattentive to the world around him, including his marriage to his wife, played by an underutilized Andra Day. Cooper honestly steals the show from the very first moment he appears on screen. It is rare to see him as comedically relaxed as he is here, and his presence injects a welcome levity into a film that can sometimes feel uneven as a dramedy.
It is easy to see what would draw Cooper to “Is This Thing On?,” a picturesque detour that allowed him to make art with his friends and closest collaborators in his West Village backyard. It is a harmless outing that, while featuring a few strong performances, ultimately feels like a pleasant diversion from a filmmaker who is clearly capable of far more.
