‘Is This Thing On?’ Review: Bradley Cooper Trades Spectacle for Sincerity

Bradley Cooper has continued to prove himself as a competent director able to get stellar performances, crisp cinematography, and examine how people interact with the arts. In Is This Thing On? the medium of art explored is standup comedy. The film follows Alex Novak, who is currently separated from his wife of twenty six years. As a coping mechanism, Alex goes to open mics and tells stories from his life. Both Alex and his wife Tess, played by Laura Dern, are trying to navigate this troubling time, having to decide whether they get divorced or back together. With an all timer performance from Will Arnett, Is This Thing On? brings the laughs, and an incredibly realistic depiction of the troubles of relationships. Read our Is This Thing On? review.

I will have to admit I was a tad disappointed by Is This Thing On? Not that I think Cooper’s first two directorial ventures are in the greatest of all time territory, but they both felt ambitious in their own right. A Star is Born attempted to revamp a story told multiple times before to critical acclaim. Maestro, though controversial, took some huge visual risks and garnered two amazing performances. Compared to these two, Is This Thing On? feels small. Divorce has been covered extensively in cinema, making it nearly impossible to bring a new insight or subtlety. The movie tries very hard to enlighten the viewer, but we have all seen this film before. We know that divorce is hard, that most of the time the blame is mutual, and that lack of communication is usually the main problem. The only aspect that this brought to the table was that it reminds us separation does not have to be a screaming match of hate and lawyers.

We get a lot of movies about a couple that act like they hate each other and most of the screen time is given to verbal sparring. Is This Thing On? is not that. They argue occasionally, but most of the time they are just trying to make it work. You believe that there was a reason they were together in the first place and it all feels very authentic. The entire film feels remarkably realistic and showcases what a lot of couples actually go through. It was refreshing that the characters reflect on how things in their own life and own choices have made them unhappy, not just blaming the other for every single little thing. This movie feels very mature, which is extremely refreshing. Though not as ambitious as his other work, I think this is the movie Bradley Cooper needed to make now, especially after Maestro.

As I said before, Will Arnett is giving an all timer performance. I have to admit I am a sucker for the comedy actor showing his dramatic chops, and Arnett does not disappoint. This is the exact tone that Arnett shines in, a little dark with a bit of comedy. He really gives a career best that feels authentic, and you can tell they wrote the role specifically for him. Another big surprise was Laura Dern. Based on the marketing material and chatter around the film, I was not expecting to get a lot from her. Fortunately, we are given the perfect amount of Dern. She has way more screen time then I was expecting and owns every moment. Arnett and Dern are the best part of the film, with genuine chemistry and delightful on screen banter. Is This Thing On? is a perfectly serviceable movie, not reinventing the wheel, but captivating enough for a one time watch. 

Is This Thing On? is directed by Bradley Cooper and stars Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, and Cooper. The film had a limited theatrical release on December 19 and expanded in January.

Thanks for reading this Is This Thing On? review. For more, stay tuned here at Feature First.