Is This Thing On?

A Grade “Alex: I’m doing stand up”. Balls: Oh, I don’t know who that is…That is a crazy handle. What, is she famous?”

Inspired by the tale of English comedian John Bishop, Will Arnett plays Alex Novak, who begins an unlikely hobby of doing stand-up at open mic nights to help process the ending of his marriage. The film begins with Alex and his wife Tess, played by Laura Dern, attending a friend’s dinner party where they seem in lockstep with each other and make each other laugh, even as they depart, only to head in different directions. Tess goes home to the suburbs; Alex wanders the streets of New York, not quite ready to return to his apartment.

Keen for one last drink, Alex tries to enter a bar but is baffled by the $20 cover charge. He is offered free entry, but only if he stands on stage and delivers some jokes for an open mic night. Being drunk, as well as a bit high, Alex takes the cheaper option and, despite never doing stand-up before, he nails a few jokes while outlining his life as a failure alongside tales of how he became estranged from his wife. Despite most of his set being filled with awkward silences and dead time, Alex believes that he may be able to do stand-up again. Whether he knows it or not, he has the ability to make people laugh as a comic while simultaneously processing his marriage breakdown.

At the heart of Is This Thing On? is the idea that often the funniest people in the room are also the saddest. Alex is deeply unhappy with his life and can’t seem to shake the stupor he has found himself in. By cracking jokes and getting laughs out of his audience, he finds a connection. With every laugh, Alex is able to cope a little bit more. He processes his pain while, at the same time, feeling that he is making a mark. It is no secret that many comedians make fun of their own lives, offering themselves as the clown in order to entertain the masses. Jokes about failed dates, awkward sex encounters, and embarrassing stories, comedians will make a joke of themselves to make others laugh. In this sense, Alex is a perfect portrayal of a comedian, except that he lays bare his pain and vulnerability. Skilled comedians, however, will bury their shame in expertly wrapped jokes that the audience doesn’t notice as much.

Interestingly, Is This Thing On? has almost no music throughout the film. This was a brave decision because music is immensely helpful in shaping the tone of a film. The lack of music brings a realness to the story, as if everything is laid bare in all of its ugliness. Apart from the stand-up scenes, the film is frankly dark, and with every scene between Alex and Tess or when Alex is on his own, each moment sits in a grim stillness, amplified by the absence of music. Is This Thing On? could’ve fallen flat without a score, but with an introspective story and great acting, the void isn’t felt as a drawback at all. It instead deepens the heaviness of the story.

The character development in Is This Thing On? is impressive. The writers’ dedication to crafting two well-developed characters and their complicated relationship is very well conceived. Alex and Tess were once lifelong partners and lovers. They were a team that brought two boys into the world. However, as can happen in some relationships, a spiritual, physical, and emotional fissure develops between them. They fall out of love and, in a very mature way, separate. They are both unhappy and wisely try to go their own ways. Maturely, they establish a series of boundaries and rules to still attend mutual friends’ parties and share time with their boys. This keeps them both sane, while also protecting their children.

However, it is apparent that despite their falling out of love and subsequent separation, they still like each other. Is This Thing On? is littered with small moments between Alex and Tess where they let their guard down. They bring up fond memories and share jokes, even as they settle into new eras of their lives. They even call each other out on their bullshit. This is because, despite everything, they share a bond. The film brings to the big screen a complicated relationship full of shades of grey. This isn’t your typical binary breakup, where one partner betrays the other, or there is a clear right and wrong, an overused and frankly boring trope in romantic drama filmmaking. This is why Is This Thing On? punches so high. The story feels authentic in its depiction of what a couple falling out of love can look like. In film, it is so easy to take the route where recently separated partners simply hate each other, stacking past failings so that reconciliation is insurmountable, unless a third-act declaration of love or some grand, save-the-day shenanigans intervenes.

Mixed into this is an effective portrayal of identity. In fact, a key reason why Alex and Tess fall apart is their changing sense of self. Alex, once vibrant and known as the joker among his peers, has become morose. He has lost his zest for life and is now simply going through the motions until he dies. That is who he is when we first meet him. This is a common trait for men who lose purpose and direction. Men bottle up their emotions and pain, which leads to numbness. Alex, like many men of his age and situation, becomes a facsimile of himself. PSA: men, get therapy please! Tess’s lost identity is even more present throughout the plot. She grapples with the reality that she is past her prime. Once a star volleyball player, she struggles to reorganise herself into being a mother and, importantly, a single woman in her 50s who now ‘dates’. It is rare that such a storyline would make it into a Hollywood film directed by Bradley Cooper, but it has, and it should be celebrated. Tess’s story and arc are rare to see on film, and they are handled with delicacy and thoughtfulness.

While the story is strong and well thought out, the film is tremendously supported by the powerful performances of Will Arnett and Laura Dern. Both actors bring immense talent, bringing Alex and Tess to life with all of their complications. Arnett conveys despondent darkness and weariness, while also delivering many moments of humour, and not just when he is on stage. In scenes with other comedians or Bradley Cooper’s character, Balls, Arnett is hilariously pitiless. Equally, Dern brings an incredible, grounded quality of humility, forgiveness, and patience to Tess, both in her interactions with Alex and in handling her own baggage.

Is This Thing On? is a quiet film in many senses. It has a small cast, limited music, and, sadly, a quiet release. But it tells a deeply human story about love and identity that provokes both laughter and sadness, backed up by very strong acting. More people should go and see it and talk about it. With its humble British origins and its clever, dry American humour, it is a beautiful film worth seeing.

A Grade!