As a director, we’ve seen Bradley Cooper capture larger-than-life performers as characters go through turbulence in their musical craft—mainly with him in the lead role. With his third film, Is This Thing On?, Cooper scales things back to focus on a man stumbling his way into stand-up while his marriage crumbles. The result is some unexpected growth for Cooper as a director that’s uplifted by incredible performances from Will Arnett and Laura Dern.
The film, which is loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop, follows Alex (Arnett) as he begins performing stand-up as a way to deal with his marriage to his wife Tess (Dern) falling apart. After such cinematic and epic-feeling films, it’s actually very refreshing for Cooper to take more of an indie film approach for Is This Thing On?. That’s not to say that the film doesn’t have grand-feeling moments. But Cooper maintains a small, personal feel that balances humor and drama flawlessly. Even when Alex is on-stage delivering honest and, at times, self-deprecating jokes about his life, there’s this therapeutic atmosphere to it all that hooks you. It’s where Cooper elevates the perception of stand-up to harness a cathartic emotional pull, and Arnett excels in this setting.
It’s no surprise that Arnett kills it when it comes to the comedy here, but there’s also an untapped dramatic side that reveals itself. Even when Alex is cracking jokes, there’s an inner pain or ongoing sense of thought that’s unmistakable. While he’s being funny for the crowd, he’s also trying to think things through, and it leads to Arnett showing a complex range of emotions. Some of the toughest scenes come from him holding back l tears, and it’s legitimately crushing to see him nearly lose it in front of his kids or pour out raw frustrations. Even with a career of hit performances, Is This Thing On? almost feels like a breakout moment for Arnett that showcases broader talent. Yet the humor doesn’t get lost within the personal drama and Arnett’s comedy is absolute perfection
Is This Thing On? is easily one of the funniest films of the year, as Alex and Tesss failing relationship is hilariously poked at—especially by Alex. His jabs at his shortcomings are funny as hell and Arnett’s delivery is comically gutting. Plus, he makes Alex being new to stand-up very realistic and incredibly amusing. It’s almost like he’s improvising when he grabs the mic and it’s always hysterical to see other comedians call out his amateurishness.
Honestly, Cooper does a great job weaving in actual NYC stand-ups, like Chloe Radcliffe and Reggie Conquest, to give its depiction of the comedy scene a more authentic backbone with local flavors. The film is almost an exploration of an aspiring comedian’s perspective with how Alex tries to hone his craft. It’s also hilarious when Alex is off-stage, as he can’t escape rebuke and small digs spurred by his falling out with Tess. Family and friends certainly hold nothing back and there’s nothing better than watching Cooper not only channel Zach Galifianakis’s energy for his performance, but also deliver subtle lines that’ll get you laughing.
Within the comedy, though, is a reflective story of divorce that may seem familiar on paper, but finds its own compelling angles. On the surface, it’s hard not to feel shades of Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story because of the shared themes and vibes surrounding going through and after divorce, which may thrust this film into its shadow for some. However, Is This Thing On? separates itself through its characters searching for themselves and finding each other through the wreckage of their relationship. There’s a lot of self-growth that comes from Alex and Tess finding their own voices that eventually helps them realize what went wrong. It’s about finding that spark that’s been lost and letting it guide you towards deeper conclusions about yourself.
For Alex, stand-up is a core part of rediscovering himself and it’s what makes every venture on-stage more heartfelt and compelling than the last. For Tess, she gets some of her own time in the film to explore herself, resulting in more depth and more of Dern’s amazing performance. She matches Arnett’s energy perfectly, providing a blend of frustration and heartbreak that elicits some darkly comedic comebacks.
For the most part, things stay afloat incredibly well, even through a so-so second act. After an amazingly directed sequence where Alex and Tess’s arcs unexpectedly collide, the film struggles to maintain its momentum. The added story threads centered on their friends’ relationship woes may connect to their problems, but they needlessly clogs up the story. Overall, Cooper struggles with a perceivable passage of time, creating confusing gaps in the narrative that stunt the pacing. And while the tone shifts in a way that’s fitting to how Alex and Tess’s relationship evolves, it slows things down too much. Even with these mistakes, the power of Alex and Tess’s journey holds up and reaches emotional peaks that make your heart swell. The film finds the right avenues to keep the focus on these characters reflecting on their life together and delivers a lot of wholesome scenes that offer satisfying and moving conclusions audiences will connect with.
Is This Thing On? isn’t perfect by any means, nor does it necessarily reach the heights of films it’ll certainly be compared to. But Cooper’s third outing as a director is special because of the steady hand he brings in tackling this hilarious and heart-wrenching tale of looking inward and starting new chapters. Arnett and Dern are deservedly destined for awards glory for the incredibly funny and captivatingly emotive work they do, and Is This Thing On? is a legit crowd-pleaser people shouldn’t sleep on.
