Is This Thing On?
E and I watched Is This Thing On? prior to the nominations, as Oscars darling Bradley Cooper has been a pretty sure bet, but it received none in the end, and while that’s not entirely surprising, I am glad we watched it, as it’s a very solid movie. The plot feels like a gender swapped Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, especially the beginning, but it does enter enough unique territory to give it some grace. While billed as a comedy, it’s really not very funny, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Though I gave it the same score as his Cooper’s previous work Maestro, I certainly enjoyed this movie more. Will Arnett has more dramatic chops than he’s been given credit for or shared with the world to this point at least, and of course Laura Dern is always amazing. It’s not as ambitious as his previous movies, but I liked the direction Cooper went with this and it’s definitely worth a watch.
-Z
While this wasn’t the comedy I was expecting it to be, it was a really compelling movie. Will Arnett does an excellent job acting in a more dramatic role here (as does Laura Dern, not surprisingly) as well as in the moments where he’s portraying a just starting out stand-up comic. A lot of this movie focuses on relationship dynamics and conversations, and the most impressive part to me was how incredibly realistic that all felt. Not a perfect movie, but very well done, and I hope Bradley Cooper keeps making more films!
-E
