Is This Thing On?
Rating: 4.5/5
Adaptations are Hollywood’s favourite pastime. So is issuing Oscar nominations for Bradley Cooper. However, when seasoned funny man Will Arnett attempts to capture aspects of a real-life comedian, the results are a heartwarming example of how to tell other people’s stories with taste.
Starring Arnett, the movie sees his character Alex take a stab at stand-up comedy. With no background in the field or encouragement from friends, Alex’s bold steps follow a separation from his wife, Tessa, played by Laura Dern.
With Cooper at the helm and in the supporting cast, his movies tend to feel like Oscar bait — vanity projects that will finally earn him an Academy Award. His highly collaborative and hands-on approach tends to deliver sentimental yet laboursome productions. With no Oscars this year — much like his other success story, A Star is Born — Cooper might have finally hit his stride with Is This Thing On?
No stranger to exploring complicated relationships, Cooper takes on the most estranged.
Arnett, who penned the flick inspired by the life of Joshua Bishop, veers away from the usual overambitious corporate dunces he plays to anchor the movie as an embattled sweetheart trying to navigate a relationship slipping from his fingers.
Dern is toned down from her current slate of no-nonsense bombshells for a competitive caregiver who attempts to set tougher boundaries with her family.
This is the greatest service to the movie as the couple struggles with letting go of the past and embracing who they are becoming in their old age. Even Christine (Tessa’s best friend, played by Andra Day) shares that her venom for Alex comes from her disdain that he lost his ambitions.
Sean Hayes, Ciarán Hinds and Christine Ebersole are standouts as the supporting cast who continually help Alex and Tessa figure out the personal problems they have before they mend fences with each other.
Rather than comic relief or a necessary voice in the story, Cooper aims for scene-stealer status that feels out of place in a movie where even the child actors never miss a beat. Similar to Kate McKinnon’s performance in The Roses, they don’t add a necessary beat but bring a hammy quality to a movie that is primed to be a classic.
In a year dominated by the dark themes of Sinners and One Battle After Another, Cooper’s strongest film yet shows signs that it’s OK to bring a little silver lining at a time when cinema is belaboured with tough subjects.
And perhaps Cooper can take more of a back seat and focus on making sure his stars have the spotlight.
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