Bradley Cooper has shown himself to be quite the chameleon when it comes to his directorial efforts. Digging deep into pop stardom with his modern take on A Star is Born and swinging for the fences in his ambition for the Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro, Cooper has proven to be just as competent a director as he is an actor. His newest film, Is This Thing On?, is a step down in scale, but it hits the same emotional beats and themes as his previous films.

Is This Thing On? follows Alex and Tess Novak, played by Will Arnett and Laura Dern, who find themselves going through a midlife crisis after divorcing each other. While Tess seeks purpose through volleyball, a sport she once competed in the Olympics, Alex finds passion and love for stand-up comedy, performing routines to cope with his sadness. Through their time apart, the two discover where they went wrong in their relationship, delving into themes of honesty and love that will resonate with any long-lasting couple.

Bradley Cooper’s films contrast sharply in style and execution, but all explore similar themes of the arts and relationships. In A Star is Born, writing and creating music connect Jack and Ally, both physically and mentally. In Maestro, producing music is Leonard Bernstein’s entire life, with the film exploring how it affected his relationship with his wife and children. Is This Thing On? may not focus on music as Cooper’s past films do (though it features an excellent “Under Pressure” needle drop in the film’s final scene), but it conveys the idea that the arts can be a healing process. This idea is beautifully conveyed in one of the film’s strongest scenes, which sees a surprising encounter between Alex and Tess at a comedy club. This sequence expertly portrays how comedy can positively impact the comedian and their audience, conveying how it can simultaneously boost morale and allow a person to fully come to terms with themselves and their emotions, and Cooper captures this in an authentic, nuanced manner.

The contributions of the arts to society play a massive role in Is This Thing On?, but easily the film’s biggest theme is relationships. The movie displays that relationships are extremely difficult to maintain, even if you have as excellent a chemistry with one another as Will Arnett and Laura Dern do. It explores relationships in a therapeutic manner, exploring how the characters view each other, the state of their relationship, and how they got to where they are. Like most relationships, Alex and Tess go through a roller coaster of feelings, culminating in an emotional climax in which honesty prevails and the characters discover the harsh reality of their relationship. The entire film sees Alex and Tess attempting to understand their feelings for themselves and each other, which culminates in an argument during a vacation getaway. The argument is constructed in a way that’s both saddening and tender, with Cooper’s direction grounding the film in a reality that brings its central themes to life.

Cooper’s documentary-style approach to capturing the central relationship makes for an easy-to-digest story, but the true stars of the film are Will Arnett and Laura Dern. Not only do the two bounce off each other in an extremely entertaining fashion, but they also completely sell the longevity of their marriage. The constant eye contact and physical touch convey their attraction to one another, unlike most recent romance films. Dern has shown her strength and versatility as an actress for decades, so it’s no surprise that she’s amazing in the film, but it’s Arnett who shows himself to be much more than a comedic presence with his empathetic turn as a father coping with a midlife crisis through stand-up comedy. Much quieter and drier than in his past work, Arnett shows an immense range that his prior acting gigs have not before, and hopefully, he gets more roles like this in the future.

Although much of the movie plays as a straightforward drama, it is filled with tons of hilarious moments. Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Balls, a close friend of Alex and Tess, serves as the film’s big comedic relief, and Cooper absolutely nails it. Portraying an actor who’s equally struggling with his career and his marriage, Cooper conveys a midlife crisis in an over-the-top, but always comedic, manner, adding the light-heartedness the film needed. Alex’s parents, played by Ciarán Hinds and Christine Ebersole, are also excellent additions to the humor, with Ebersole’s strong affection for Tess and the disheartening discovery of Alex’s new passion for stand-up comedy making for many of the film’s funniest moments.

Although the themes discussed are powerful and grounded in reality, the structure plays out exactly as one would expect in a relationship drama. There are multiple insightful bits about marriage and love that are easy to empathize with, but the story’s direction is fairly obvious, making for an experience that doesn’t carry as much weight as it should. Especially because Bradley Cooper’s past two films have been massive in scale and storytelling, his work on Is This Thing On? could be perceived as a step down for him.

Is This Thing On? may not be as ambitious as Cooper’s past efforts, but his ability to make a small relationship drama feel massive made for an extremely sentimental and satisfying experience. Led by two stellar performances from Will Arnett and Laura Dern, this take on relationships and the performing arts showcases Cooper’s versatility as a director and his fascination with the human condition. It may not be a big Oscar player like his other films, but it hits all the right notes. Bradley Cooper is three for three.

Is This Thing On? screened as a Special Presentation at the Heartland International Film Festival. Searchlight Pictures will release the film nationwide on December 19.

Rating: 8/10

Oscar Prospects:

None