Review: ‘Is This Thing On?’ Is a Lovely Movie Made Better Because It’s (Mostly) True

Before I talk about what a lovely little movie Is This Thing On? is, let’s tackle some context. For some, the most interesting thing about it will be the fact that Bradley Cooper chose to direct this intimate portrait of mid-life disillusionment, one he isn’t even the star of, after his two big award-season contenders (A Star is Born and Maestro). For years, the narrative surrounding Cooper has been one of desperation, of flop-sweat and Oscar thirst, and whether that narrative is deserved or not, it stuck. In that respect, Is This Thing On? is an impressive rebuttal. With its deft emotional nuance and slight scope, it lets Cooper’s talents as a director shine even as he takes a backseat as an actor. There is no whiff of flop-sweat to this thing, only the cool confidence of a guy who loves what he does and is damn good at it.

For others, myself included, the most interesting thing about Is This Thing On? is the John Bishop of it all. According to Will Arnett, he met Bishop on a canal boat in Amsterdam, of all places, and Bishop told him the story of how he got into stand-up comedy. Nowadays, Bishop is a well-known British comedian and one-time TARDIS companion, but back then he was just a bloke struggling to cope with the dissolution of his longtime marriage. One night, he went to a pub that was running an open mic. He didn’t want to pay the cover charge, so he put his name down on the list and figured he’d get a drink and leave before he was called up. Instead, he wound up on stage, admitting to the world and himself for the first time that he was pretty sure he was getting a divorce.

Arnett, with Bishop’s permission, took that story and turned it into a screenplay with the help of Mark Chappell (See How They Run) and Bradley Cooper, who came on to direct it. But that’s not really the interesting bit. What’s amazing is that the movie is not about a middle-aged man using comedy as therapy and becoming famous for it. It’s about a middle-aged man using comedy as therapy, sure - but it’s about how it enriches his life and salvages his marriage. That’s the true beauty of Bishop’s story, and that’s what Arnett and co. latched onto as they translated it across the pond to the NYC comedy scene. You do not need to know a thing about John Bishop to appreciate the movie, but I’d be lying if I said knowing that the broad strokes (and certain particular details) of this story really happened didn’t make my enjoyment of the film a little sweeter.

Arnett plays Alex Novak, your standard “works in finance” middle-aged family man who, as the movie starts, is preparing to move out of his family home in the suburbs of New York City and into a one-bedroom apartment. The reasons why he and his wife, Tess (Laura Dern), are calling it quits aren’t clear until much later in the movie, but it’s exactly the sort of relatable-yet-indescribable stuff that usually gets waved away with a simple “we grew apart.” As someone who underwent years of fertility treatments and IVF, the impact of that on their marriage was thoughtfully depicted, though that’s just one of many challenges that wore them down. What matters is that they were unhappy within themselves, and after years of feeling more and more isolated from one another, they didn’t know how to bridge that gap.

As far as midlife crises go, stand-up comedy proves surprisingly healthy. Sure, Alex takes up smoking, but he also finds a way to put the hard things in his life to words and connect with people through laughter. The film depicts the struggles of the comedy scene, of comedians hopping from open mic to open mic, honestly without ever losing sight of what the film is about, which is the relationship between Alex and Tess. As the pair go their separate ways, they discover within themselves how to reconnect to the bygone versions they fell in love with in the first place. Dern is predicably wonderful as the driven, frustrated Tess, but Arnett truly shines as the lost, uncertain Alex. Here again, context is king, and we all know Arnett himself is a comedian with a famous ex-wife and children, yet there is still something surprising in how fully he embodies Alex’s unglamorous journey. It would be easy to say the character is within Arnett’s wheelhouse, but that would do a disservice to the depth of his performance.

There are some surprising touches to the film’s cast, from Peyton Manning as Tess’s potential love interest to Ciarán Hinds as Alex’s father. I’m obligated to highlight Amy Sedaris as the stand-up booker orbiting the open mic scene (love her!), and Sean Hayes (Arnett’s Smartless co-host) as an old college friend. Andra Day and Bradley Cooper play another friend couple who are navigating their own unsatisfying marriage, the funhouse mirror versions of Alex and Tess, and it’s hard not to imagine Cooper giving a satisfied wink to the camera every time he pops up as a struggling actor called “Balls.” It’s a pleasant comic relief role, the sort that appears on screen without overstaying its welcome.

Instead, where Cooper leaves his mark is with his direction. His choice to use handheld cameras to get up close and personal with Alex on stage, making each joke feel like a confessional, keeps the film intimate, but it’s Arnett who makes the most of the focus. With a great story and a great script, it’d be easy to write Is This Thing On? off as a softball effort from Cooper, but I suspect that ease is due entirely to his skill behind the camera and with actors. This isn’t a showy film, but it’s a solid one, and if it seems too simple, then hey - that’s just because Cooper is making it look easy. Here’s hoping Is This Thing On? marks the end of the tiresome Desperate Bradley Cooper narrative, but if nothing else, it’s proof he knows how to step out of the spotlight and get the job done.