Rob Reviews "Is This Thing On?"

When Will Arnett met British comedian John Bishop, he knew that he wanted to tell his story (with names and settings changed to protect I guess everyone).  Together with Bradley Cooper (who also co-stars and directs here) and Mark Chappell (See How They Run), they turned it into Is This Thing On?.

Arnett plays Alex Novak, a man who is recently separated from his wife, Tess (Laura Dern).  As he is roaming the streets of New York City, he winds up taking part in an Open Mic Night at the Comedy Cellar to prevent having to pay cover for the bar and finds a love for the art form of stand-up comedy.  While navigating a life he did not want with a passion he cannot deny, he does his best to keep this new facet of his life a secret from everyone in his family while trying to climb the ranks of the club stage.

Not gonna bury the lead here: if Will Arnett does not get at least one nomination (much less a win) for his performance here, there is no justice in this world.  From the opening scene, he has a brooding intensity that fuels his creative side in a way that is full-on convincing and spot-on.  Sharing the screen with someone of the caliber of Laura Dern is no easy task, but he makes it look like a walk in the park.  Their chemistry is natural and palpable in each and every frame of this film.

I would not call this a “dark comedy” per say, but I could see how some could get to that label.  My co-host, Alex, put it best to call this more of a “dramedy” than anything else.  There are some tense moments that had me with a level of cringe (I have to close my eyes when I watch someone on a stage if things start to go sideways, and my blood pressure rises in empathetically), and there are also moments that gave me a smile a mile wide, but I never saw a dark side to this.  Anyone who has ever dealt with or has studied stand-up comedy knows how real those sequences are, especially with some of the actual comics from the New York circuit making appearances to give this another layer of authenticity.

Cooper shoots this in a true “indie” fashion: there is no slick production elements or over-the-top angles here, which is absolutely the right decision.  This element gives it more of the feel that we are watching Alex’s story right there with him, engaging me that much further.

Given that this is being distributed by Searchlight, I worry that Is This Thing On? will not get to as many viewers as it truly should.  In this type of film, there is a fine line between great and not-great, and this one stays well within the former’s boundaries.  I truly hope this gets noticed by award presenters of ALL levels for a job incredibly well done.