Is This Thing On?

I'm convinced Bradley Cooper is becoming the new Oscar-Bait filmmaker because it shows.

What Cooper offers is a very strong performance from Will Arnett and Laura Dern, yet, a predictable, cheesy, and basic narrative and concept, that doesn't really offer anything new to the core of comedy-drama. First thing is first, Cooper's direction on the atmosphere, presentation, and style, is mostly okay. The presentation is acceptable, there are some solid humor moments, and has some nice colors presented throughout. Having loved Arnett's vocal performances on Bojack Horseman, Arnett's performance was pretty good, as his personality and dynamics were the best aspects about the movie.

Unfortunately, as a whole, the narrative, as mentioned, is predictable. Each moment whether on it's humor dynamics, writing, and the concepts feel slim, cheesy, and follows pretty much most basic and non-creative comedy-drama. Beat per beat, which makes each moment too easy to follow, and easy to guess. The characters, were quite unlikable. Unlikeable characters can be well-written and engaging if they are given more depth and personality, unfortunately, Cooper offers little to nothing to the characters, which makes it a little difficult to believe them nor engage with their conflicts, and dynamics.

The musical score feels cheap, and there are some pacing aspects that feel a bit too slow. The dialogue feels clunky. As at times, there are some good dialogue moments between characters, and at the same time, some of them felt off-putting, weird, and fake.

Overall, Cooper, once again, just made another okay movie. Sadly, his remake of A Star Is Born and Maestro are pretty much good examples of Oscar Bait, and here, once again, comes another.

Enjoyed this one a lot. It's relatable, genuinely funny, and leaves you in a good mood.

Loved that they shot the stand-up scenes in front of a real audience; it gave the whole thing a raw, lived-in feel.

The ending, though, totally missed the tone and felt disconnected from the rest of the movie. Will Arnett absolutely nailed his role.

I am a big fan of Laura Dern as an actress from films like "Smooth Talk", "Blue Velvet", "Wild at Heart", "Rambling Rose", and "Jurassic Park". And I like Bradley Cooper from "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle".

Now they are both in the new movie "Is This Thing On?" directed by and co-written and co-produced by Cooper. The movie stars Will Arnett and Laura Dern as a married couple with two young sons who are separating.

The Will Arnett character starts getting involved with doing stand up comedy. Bradley Cooper plays an actor who is a friend in a supporting role.

The movie is engaging and enjoyable and very well acted by the entire cast. The cinematography by Matthew Libatique, who was nominated for an Oscar for "Black Swan", "A Star is Born", and "Maestro" is very good. I liked this movie very much. Very much worth seeing.

When did marriage vows incorporate the promise of living an inviolable life of happily ever after? It often feels like many of those who enter into such a contract believe that there's supposed to be an inherent entitlement to perpetual wedded bliss, but, as they often discover, that proves not to be the case. So then what? Where do couples who've hit rough patches go from there? For most, it's often separation and/or divorce, but is that really the most effective solution? As this latest offering from writer-actor-director Bradley Cooper illustrates, the trouble may lie with considerations other than a husband and wife's compatibility - and if that issue proves not to be at fault, continued happiness might ensue, and no need for a parting of the ways may be required. Having been married for 20 years, Alex Novak (Will Arnett) and his wife, Tess (Laura Dern), have found their marriage faltering, but they don't seem particularly hostile toward one another. Still, they decide to separate and begin investigating divorce. However, why would they go this route if they don't feel contempt for one another or a lack of chemistry between them, especially given the complex logistics involved in expenses, setting up two households and figuring out how to share custody of their two sons (Blake Kane, Calvin Knegten). Perhaps their difficulty rests more with a lack of personal fulfillment in their individual lives than in the nature of their relationship. And having some time apart may be just the ticket to learning this and finding a way to restore the missing individual satisfaction that has made each of them feel unfulfilled (and thereby affecting the character of their marriage). For Tess, this means exploring the possibility of getting into coaching women's volleyball, a sport she once excelled at herself. And, for Alex, it involves an impromptu stab at stand-up comedy at a New York open mic night, a lark that ends up proving to be a talent he never knew he possessed and that gives him enjoyment, recognition and an informal but viable form of therapy that helps him get his life back on track. Their respective endeavors change the way they see themselves and their relationship. But, since they've publicly proclaimed their intention to part company, what do they do now that they've discovered that their marriage may not be the problem after all? Do they keep up the pretense of separation, or do they bite the bullet and announce that initiating divorce proceedings was a mistake? In that regard, then, the film's title thus becomes an ironic double entendre, one that characterizes the resurgent on-again/off-again nature of their relationship, in addition to a common face-saving observation comedians make about the alleged malfunctioning of their on-stage microphones when a routine appears to be heading south. "Is This Thing On?" provides viewers with not only an intriguing look at the world of stand-up, but also how an impulsive venture might unwittingly help to transform an unsatisfying life into something richly rewarding at a time when such a change is least expected. Its therapeutic nature, coming at a seemingly inopportune time, reveals much that had long been hidden, breathing new life into an undertaking that was nearly (and erroneously) written off for good. And it accomplishes this with a frankness and honesty rarely seen in movies about relationships, both with a partner and with oneself. This is largely made possible by the superb performances of Arnett, who shows off acting chops many of us probably never knew he possessed, and Dern, who turns in yet another signature portrayal, continuing to illustrate the tremendous range she possesses as an actress. It's been disappointing to see this release shut out of awards season consideration thus far, but here's hoping that turns around in the remaining competitions. And, from where I stand, that's no laughing matter.

"Is This Thing On?" is a new film directed by Bradley Cooper and Cooper also plays a relatively minor role in the story. I saw it at the Philadelphia Film Festival yesterday.

Alex and Tess (Will Arnett and Laura Dern) are married but they are separating. Neither seems to have that much reason to separate other than, perhaps, boredom. However, Alex copes with this in a strange way. Instead of seeking therapy, he decides on a lark to do standup comedy! As for the wife, she copes by returning to her first love, volleyball.

So why did I give this one a paltry five? Well, two main reasons. First, Arnett is supposed to be doing standup and people like his act...but the act has barely a laugh in it at any time! They really needed to get a comedian to punch up Arnett's act and it just doesn't make sense why anyone would want to see it. In contrast, the very first episode of "The Marvelous Miss Maisel", the main character was freaking hilarious the first time she did standup! Second, the characters are all people I either strongly disliked (Alex, Tess, their extended family and friends) or was completely ambivalent towards (the gay couple and the kids). It;s a real shame, as the message that EVENTUALLY comes out in the film is an important one...that folks in a marriage might just need to focus on a hobby or avocation which gives them satisfaction, not just expecting their spouse to provide this. Overall, it sure seems like a film which could used a bit of a re-write and I can't see going to the trouble of seeing this in theaters...more a film to watch on Netflix or some other streaming service...if at all.