IS THIS THING ON? -- Cooper at his Quaintest

Review by Adam Donato

Bradley Cooper has been one of the most interesting filmmakers of the last decade. He goes from leading man movie star to spearheading his own remake of A Star Is Born. Five years and one pandemic later, he swings for the Academy’s fences with Maestro and comes up empty. Is This Thing On? is not a music focused movie like Cooper’s first two films, but instead is a dramedy about divorce and stand up comedy. Will Arnett stars along with Laura Dern. The film opens the same day as Avatar: Fire and Ash so it’s safe to say this won’t open number one at the box office. Will Cooper’s more relaxed approach to his third movie get him back to Oscar gold?

Judd Apatow made a career out of finding comedians and building a comedy vehicle that showed off their personality as well as their ability to carry dramatic moments. Is This Thing On? reads like one of those. Funny People meets Marriage Story, but for Will Arnett. The quality is somewhere between the two. It doesn’t have quite the emotional power that Marriage Story has, but it is considerably funnier than Funny People. A very good movie, but it is the smallest Cooper movie to date. Nothing wrong with that, but also does make it hard to see Cooper getting a bunch of nominations for this one. He’s had twelve nominations in his career and clearly wants to win one, but this isn’t the one. It speaks to how crazy good Cooper’s career as a filmmaker has already been, that not being a serious Oscar contender sounds like a disappointment.

Will Arnett is blazing a new frontier for himself. Mostly known as a television and voice acting star, this is the first time being the lead of something as high profile as this. He’s writing and producing here as well, which makes it feel like something he would just direct himself as his big debut. Obviously Arnett pulls off this pathetic comedic role. It feels a lot like a live action Bojack Horseman so it’s nothing new, but he does a great job in his wheelhouse. He handles the more emotional moments impressively. Could totally sneak a Best Actor nomination, but he’s not ripe yet for a win. 

Laura Dern is also in Marriage Story, which she won an Oscar for. In this film she is the ex wife, who is pursuing to get back into volleyball through coaching. She honestly feels like the best bet to get a nomination with her name brand recognition and argument for a strong supporting actress nomination. Dern has surprisingly good chemistry with Arnett.

Cooper is also in the movie himself. Not starring this time, which almost makes him seem humble, but plays Arnett’s goofy best friend. He’s got this distinct look with the thick facial hair, glasses and hat. All he does is play around the whole time with a golden retriever type energy. Very funny performance that almost steals the movie. Feels like propaganda designed by Cooper to come off as more likable. Well, it’s working. 

Is This Thing On? is equal parts hilarious and emotionally relatable. The trio of Cooper, Arnett, and Dern all deliver in spades. Since it won’t be a box office or awards hit, it has the opportunity to be fondly remembered by cinephiles as an underrated hit. Since Cooper has been known to try really hard, this should give him some much needed cinema credit. 

Is This Thing On? will be in theaters on December 19. 

Rating: 4/5