Comedy as Therapy In Dark Times Is Relatable Point of ‘Is This Thing On?’

Comedy as Therapy In Dark Times Is Relatable Point of ‘Is This Thing On?’

By Lynn Venhaus

With its inspired casting, “Is This Thing On?” is strongest in its personal self-discovery journey as a married couple divorces.

Alex and Tess Novak (Will Arnett, Laura Dern) were married for 20 years and dote on their two boys, so co-parenting isn’t an issue, but navigating the single life is a bumpy path. Tess finds purpose again rejuvenating her athletic career while Alex stumbles onto comedy as therapy.

While how funny Alex is can be debated, the use of humor to get through life’s toughest times is a spot-on assessment. After all, Charlie Chaplin famously said: “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.”

Frustrated by life’s ups and downs, Alex seeks a sense of purpose while he is frustrated by life’s ups and downs.. In stand-up comedy routines, he finds out he’s relatable as a middle-aged guy navigating ‘uncoupling.’ It’s also therapeutic for this sad dad. An interesting by-product is he learns more about himself.

Tess, who clearly wanted to divorce, sought to renew that zest for life she had as an Olympic volleyball player and college coach. After years of sacrificing for her family, she is loving getting back in the game. 

As Alex’s newfound hobby takes flight , he keeps it hidden from Tess, his friends and family. But he also has a re-energized outlook on life, and finds this outlook rewarding in ways he never imagined.

As they face middle age and divorce, the Novaks are working on co-parenting and their identities as singles. Somehow, they come to an understanding that surprises both, as they learn new things about each other.

This film is inspired by the real-life story of British comedian John Bishop. Arnett met him on a canal boat in Amsterdam and, after hearing about how he got his start in stand-up comedy, Arnett wanted to make it into a film.

Arnett, a very funny Emmy-nominated actor who broke out as “Gob” Bluth on “Arrested Development,” has carved a niche in voice-over work, especially in animated series and films (“BoJack Horseman,” “The Lego Batman Movie”).His is best known as the guy enticing us to eat Reese’s peanut butter cups every Halloween. 

Showing a new side to his capabilities, he is appealing as the befuddled and vulnerable Alex, while Oscar winner Dern is a good scene partner. Their dynamic is believable, both eliciting empathy. 

The film is directed by Bradley Cooper, his third feature, and it’s quite a departure from “A Star Is Born” and “Maestro” – an intimate interpersonal drama-comedy that amplifies relationship struggles that many people face.

In a supporting role, he’s practically unrecognizable as Alex’s best friend, Balls – a scruffy, vain actor in a rocky marriage to Christine (Andra Day), who is friends with Tess. The friends’ scenes seem to pad the film unnecessarily, and Sean Hayes and his real-life husband Scott Icenogle are seen only briefly as pals.

Nevertheless, the family scenes are heartfelt and humorous without strained effort. Terrific character actors Christine Ebersole and Ciaran Hinds lend lived-in credibility to their roles as Alex’s parents, who are close to Tess and their two grandchildren (Blake Kane as Felix and Calvin Knegten as Jude, both naturals).

The appearance of Peyton Manning as Laird, an old friend of Tess’, is a surprise, and he handles playing a character quite well. 

The script, written by Cooper, Arnett and Mark Chappell, captures the fast-paced, competitive standup comedy scene, particularly at the iconic venue the Comedy Cellar. 

Stand-up comics Chloe Radcliffe, Jordan Jensen, Reggie Conquest, Amy Sedaris and Elizabeth Furiati are an authentic part of the cast.They know that making people laugh during dark times is an elixir. 

The grittiness of New York, how both worlds felt real, the sincerity of lessons learned, and an in-sync score add to the film’s enjoyment. However, “Is This Thing On?” never rose above OK, despite its good intentions and amusing, relatable moments. 

(“Is This Thing On?” is a comedy directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper, Andra Day, Ciaran Hinds, Christine Ebersole, Peyton Manning, Blake Kane and Calvin Knegten, It is 2 hours and 1 minutes long and rated R for language throughout, sexual references and some drug use. It opened in local theatres Jan. 9. Lynn’s Grade: B-.)

Andra Day Outshines ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’

Andra Day Outshines ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’

By Lynn Venhaus

When the Academy Award nominations are announced on March 15, I will wager that Andra Day will be among the five names listed for Best Actress. She is ferocious in her portrayal of the troubled, self-destructive and talented vocalist – and even more remarkable, it is her first major acting role.

Day, a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, summons raw emotion when depicting Holiday’s sad, sordid life. When she is on stage, singing Holiday’s classics, she is incandescent.

Costume designer Paulo Nieddu, known for “Sex and the City” and “Empire,” provides an elegant and opulent look for the entertainer, while the hair and makeup department’s work is award-worthy.

Starting in 1947, iconic jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday (Andra Day) was targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics for not only her heroin use, but also for singing the praised yet controversial “Strange Fruit,” which is about a lynching. An undercover sting operation is led by black federal agent Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes), with whom she had a tumultuous affair.

Unfortunately, Day is far better than the film’s material. While focusing on the last 10 years of Holiday’s life, director Lee Daniels and screenwriter Suzan-Lori Parks cram too much into the narrative and allow characters to come and go with little context.

It’s frustrating to watch because of the inconsistencies, and the rest of the characters are caricatures.

Parks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, adapted the screenplay from Johann Mari’s book, “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” specifically the chapter “The Black Hand.”

The bold “Strange Fruit” helped Holiday gain prominence, but the ballad was a lightning rod for controversy and her defiance was a source of aggravation for the feds.

 In 1999, Time magazine called it “The Song of the Century” and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978. The song is credited as a catalyst in the civil rights movement.

But back in her day, Lady Day suffered for her art.

Garrett Hedlund, who desperately needs a hit after a string of duds since his breakout role in the 2004 film “Friday Night Lights,” plays the antagonistic bigoted bully Harry Anslinger, head of the bureau, almost as if he’s Snidely Whiplash.

Natasha Lyonne plays actress Tallulah Bankhead, who was rumored to have a relationship with Holiday, but it’s a useless part of the narrative, and just dropped in with little context.

Faring better is Trevante Rhodes as Jimmy Fletcher, a complex agent who falls in love with Holiday. Their relationship is confounding, mainly because of Holiday’s other husbands and lovers – and hard to keep who’s who straight because of the jumps back and forth. Rhodes, who played the grown-up Chiron in “Moonlight,” does what he can with playing a real, conflicted character.

Holiday’s personal life was messy, and the movie shows how drug use, excessive drinking, non-stop smoking and abuse by awful men lead to her decline. It’s a tragic tale, to be sure, but the graphic shots of injecting heroin and the physical assaults are tough to watch.

However, as the third film this past year showing how evil J. Edgar Hoover’s moves as the director of the FBI were, it is always worth remembering his abuses of power. (The other two films: “MLK/FBI” and “Judas and the Black Messiah”).

While Day shines a light on this legend, the film ultimately disappoints. Holiday, and Day, deserved better.

Andra Day stars in THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY from Paramount Pictures. Photo Credit: Takashi Seida.

“The United States vs. Billie Holiday” is a biographical drama, directed by Lee Daniels and starring Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund,. It is rated R for drug use, domestic violence, language, nudity and mature themes and the run time is 2 hours, 9 minutes.
Lynn’s Grade: B. Now available streaming on Hulu.

Celebration of Black Cinema to Honor Chadwick Boseman

Celebration of Black Cinema to Honor Chadwick Boseman

 The Critics Choice Association has announced the additional honorees and presenters that will join, virtually, the third annual Celebration of Black Cinema on Tuesday, February 2, 2021.  The ceremony will be hosted by author and media personality Bevy Smith. 

Following its invitation-only digital premiere, the event will be shared with the public on KTLA and offered to all Nexstar Media Group television stations.  KTLA will air the 90-minute Celebration of Black Cinema special in Los Angeles on Saturday night, February 6th.   

Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) will receive the Performance of the Year Award for his magnetic and heartbreaking portrayal of Levee, an ambitious musician struggling to earn the recognition he deserves in a world, and a recording studio, built against him.  

A special donation in Chadwick Boseman’s name will be designated to provide scholarships to students participating in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Gold Program.  The Academy Gold Program is an industry talent development, diversity and inclusion initiative to provide individuals, with a focus on underrepresented communities, access and resources to achieve their career pathways in filmmaking.   

Zendaya & John David Washington (Malcolm & Marie) will receive the NextGen Award for their work on the highly anticipated Malcolm & Marie, which was filmed safely amid the pandemic and became one of the most sought-after projects of the season.  Washington and Zendaya portray a filmmaker and his girlfriend returning home from his movie premiere and awaiting the critical response. 

Shaka King (Judas and the Black Messiah) will receive the Director Award for his visionary telling of the story of American civil rights leader Chairman Fred Hampton, iconic leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party who was ultimately killed in 1969. 

Tommie Smith (With Drawn Arms) will receive the Social Justice Award.  An iconic athlete and activist, in With Drawn Arms, Smith reflects on his iconic fist-thrust silent protest on the medal stand during the nation anthem at the 1968 Summer Olympics, a moment that helped define the civil rights movement. 

The Celebration of Black Cinema honorees will be fêted by a prestigious group of presenters who will celebrate their work and their ongoing commitment to telling Black stories on film, including Nnamdi Asomugha, Lee Daniels, Michael Ealy, Dominique Fishback, Taraji P. Henson, Daniel Kaluuya, Jonathan Majors, Kemp Powers, Aaron Sorkin, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Williams, and George C. Wolfe. 

As previously announced, the event will recognize Delroy Lindo (Career Achievement Award), John Legend & Mike Jackson (the Producers Award), Tessa Thompson (the Actor Award), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the Breakthrough Award), Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom, Jr. (the Ensemble Award),and Andra Day (Special Honoree Award). 

About the Critics Choice Association (CCA) 

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.