Will Arnett and Laura Dern are solid in this marriage dramedy

Plot: After many years together, Alex and Tess have reached an amicable end to their marriage, thus beginning the awkward stage of figuring out how to live separately while raising two boys and maintaining their friendships. Alex discovers a new hobby and, in the process, learns more about himself and his relationship.

Review: Bradley Cooper’s trio of directorial efforts explores the complexities of relationships and what defines them. A Star Is Born and Maestro both explored the impact of musical talents on the relationships between the gifted individuals and those they loved. With Is This Thing On?, Cooper once again uses a performing art to catalyze growth and change in the main character, this time played by co-writer Will Arnett, and yet still examines a relationship in flux. Is This Thing On? is Bradley Cooper’s smallest project to date, but it is still a wonderfully acted glimpse into a marriage in the midst of collapse and how the people at its center rediscover who they are and whether they are truly meant to be together. Boasting impressive performances from Arnett and Laura Dern, Is This Thing On? has some bursts of vision from Bradley Cooper, but it is not quite as strong as his previous films.

Is This Thing On? opens with Alex Novak (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern) having decided to separate and are trying to figure out how to tell their kids. The couple is amicable despite their decision to split and still attend a couple’s party thrown by best friends Balls (Bradley Cooper) and his wife Christine (Andra Day), along with Stephen (Sean Hayes) and Geoffrey (Scott Icenogle). Alex has gotten an apartment in New York, and after seeing Tess on the train to the suburbs, he wanders around looking for a bar. When he finds one that will let him drink for free if he signs up to do some stand-up comedy, Alex gives the microphone a try and discovers he may have potential. Returning to the club again and again, Alex can exorcise some of his emotional demons in the form of humor. At the same time, Tess is dealing with her emotions by considering a position as a volleyball coach after retiring as a professional player. Both Alex and Tess use their newfound independence to try to find themselves, and it surprisingly leads back to each other. Well, sort of.

Will Arnett and Laura Dern are excellent in their respective roles as Is This Thing On? tackles similar territory to Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, for which Dern won an Academy Award. Like that film,Is This Thing On? presents some challenging moments to watch, but the chemistry between Arnett and Dern anchors them. Will Arnett’s background in comedy helps him portray Alex’s developing talent as a stand-up feel more realistic as he tries to figure out how to use his life experiences and turn them into entertainment. Bradley Cooper spends the majority of the film framing scenes in an unassuming manner, but whenever Alex is on stage, the camera is uncomfortably close to Will Arnett. Not giving any space, Cooper forces us to become intimate with the discomfort and emotions in the moment. It works really well and gives the scenes a distinctiveness compared to other films about comedians. But,Is This Thing On? is not about being or becoming a comedian. The stand-up segments also work because they feature comedians like Chloe Radcliffe, Jordan Jensen, James Tom, and Amy Sedaris, among others, who add to the realism of Alex’s introduction to open-mic nights and the New York comedy scene.

On the other side of the relationship, Laura Dern is excellent as Tess. Much of the film focuses on Alex and his journey, but Tess’s experiences during the separation are key to the dynamic. While both Alex and Tess explore intimacy, a connection between them remains that is not easily broken. Dern portrays the polar opposite of her Marriage Story character here, with Tess still being hopeful about the future and not entirely convinced she is done with her relationship. However, much of Tess’s story relies on interactions with supporting characters in the cast, which also includes a close bond with Alex’s parents, played by Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds. There are no inherently bad people in this movie, which is a refreshing aspect. Without a villain to demonize, we are left with realistic, three-dimensional characters who are trying to make the best of a difficult situation. The story takes an unexpected turn in the middle that could have ended badly, but ultimately leads the film in a direction that somewhat undermines its presentation and ties things up a little too neatly.

Will Arnett developed the story for Is This Thing On? with Mark Chappell and John Bishop. Bradley Cooper came in to write the screenplay alongside Arnett and Chappell. As with his previous directorial efforts, Cooper took on a significant amount of responsibility and served as the B-camera operator on this film. Bradley Cooper, aside from the stand-up sequences, takes a much less structured approach to this film, allowing Is This Thing On? to be driven by the characters and their performances. There is a feeling of intimacy in all of Cooper’s films, but he allows this movie to feel unadorned and less structured, which at times plays against the film itself. This is a movie driven by the performances of the actors, and Will Arnett is impressive in a dramatic turn. At the same time, Laura Dern embodies some humor and vulnerability that we have come to expect from her. However, the film itself feels like it is lacking something. Most of the supporting players, outside of Bradley Cooper’s hilariously named Balls, are set decorations and do not add much to the story. Ciaran Hinds and Andra Day each get a scene to shine in, but because the weight falls on Arnett and Dern to carry the film, it falls a bit short of hitting as hard as it could.

While it could have turned into a feel-bad movie, Is This Thing On? remains a sweet and uplifting film about a subject that you wouldn’t expect to leave you in a good mood. I have come to expect a little more depth and substance from Bradley Cooper as a director, but he does a nice job with this lighter project. It is not on par with either A Star is Born or Maestro, but Is This Thing On? does deliver on a showcase for Will Arnett and Laura Dern, whose chemistry helps make this movie work. I would have liked a little more tension and a less cloying ending, but I still enjoyed joining these characters on their journey—a nice movie with some solid moments that will leave you feeling better than you may have expected.

Is This Thing On? opens in theaters on December 19th.