IS THIS THING ON? Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Bradley Cooper
Stars: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper, Andra Day, Ciaran Hinds, Christine Ebersole, Sean Hayes, Scott Icenogle, Jordan Jensen, Chloe Radcliffe, Amy Sedaris, Reggie Conquest.
Is This Thing On? Is a romantic comedy/drama and character study about the complex nature of relationships, the therapeutic and cathartic nature of stand-up comedy, mid-life crisis, and divorce.
Jaded financial executive Alex Novak (Will Arnett, from Arrested Development, etc) and Tess (Laura Dern, from Jurassic Park, etc), a retired Olympic volleyball player, have decided to amicably end their marriage after twenty years. They are still figuring out how to live separately and navigate their lives while still raising their two young sons. One night Alex visits the Olive Tree Café. Unable to pay the cover charge he instead puts his name down for the open mic night at the café’s Comedy Cellar. His routine basically consists of a self-referential and bracingly honest look at his own failed relationship. But it strikes a chord with the audience and a newly inspired Alex regularly returns to perform at the club.
Meanwhile Tess has returned to the sport of volleyball, with a view to gaining a coaching role for the 2028 Summer Olympics. She also becomes involved with Laird (played by former quarterback and broadcaster Peyton Manning making his film debut here). One night Tess and Laird visit the Olive Tree Café and witness Alex’s stand-up routine. At first, she is shocked and confronts Alex.
The pair manage to briefly reconcile, and this alters the dynamic of their relationship.
Is This Thing On? marks actor Bradley Cooper’s third stint behind the camera following his superb 2018 remake of A Star Is Born and Maestro, his 2023 biopic of Leonard Bernstein. But it is the lesser of his three films as director as the pacing is a little uneven. His direction is leisurely and unhurried. The film was apparently inspired by the life of British comic John Bishop who stumbled into the world of stand-up comedy in much the same fashion as Alex, and whose journey shares some parallels.
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique imbues the film with a sense of authenticity and he makes the most of the New York setting. He often works in close-ups which is supposed to lend an intimacy to the material. Cooper adds veracity to the stand-up scenes by incorporating the talents of some real-life comedians Jordan Jensen, Chloe Radcliffe, Amy Sedaris and Reggie Conquest in supporting roles as comics who mentor Alex. However, Alex’s stand-up routines here are neither particularly funny nor insightful, and they become a little tiresome after a while.
Cast against type in a rare dramatic role, Arnett (who also coscripted the film with Cooper and Mark Chappell) lends an authenticity to his performance, and he reveals a dramatic range and depth, and he brings a self-deprecating and wry humour and sweaty anxiety to the role. This is arguably Dern’s best performance in a long time and she gives Tess a vulnerability. Arnett and Dern develop a palpable chemistry. Cooper contributes some comic relief through his supporting role as Alex’s annoying best friend, a vain, out of work actor and rather eccentric character unfortunately known as ”Balls.” Ciaran Hinds contributes little with his rather thankless and cliched performance in a small role as Alex’s supportive father. Andra Day makes her mark as Balls’ sharp tongued wife Christine, and she brings a chaotic energy to her role.
★★☆
