Searchlight Pictures has released the trailer for Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?,” starring Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, and Scott Icenogle. The film will have its world premiere as the Closing Night Film at the 63rd New York Film Festival, and then be released in theaters on December 19th.
Plot Synopsis: As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.
What do you all think of the trailer? Following the undertaking of directing such ambitious projects as “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro,” it feels refreshing to see Cooper scaling back a bit and telling a story that’s probably very close to his heart but doesn’t have the aura of “I’m desperately trying to win an Oscar” hanging over it. From certain angles, it’s kind of hilarious how much Will Arnett looks like Cooper that I even mistook the two of them a few times in the trailer. Also, is it just me, or does there appear to be many extended takes shown here, almost as if the film was shot in a series of oners? Maybe I’m wrong, but it certainly looks like Cooper, the director, is staying out of the way and letting his screenplay (which he co-wrote with Arnett and Mark Chappell) and the actors do most of the heavy-lifting (Cooper is featured in only one shot in the whole trailer). This definitely appears to be a very New York story, which makes it perfect for NYFF, but what do you think, though? I’m very curious about this one as the trailer appears to be perhaps too low-key, though as if it’s concealing its true identity from viewers. I guess we’ll find out in a little less than 2 months though. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.
