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-.)

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” A Super-Sized Superhero Extravaganza

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” A Super-Sized Superhero Extravaganza

By Alex McPherson

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is an entertaining, four-hour superhero epic that greatly improves on Joss Whedon’s 2017 version. After leaving the first production due to a family tragedy, director Snyder is finally able to give fans what they’ve been craving. 

Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and another familiar face team up to take down a world-ending threat. This time, a horned monstrosity named Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) seeks to eliminate humanity from Planet Earth via three powerful “Mother Boxes” and rebuild it under the leadership of Darkseid (Ray Porter), who wants to control the galaxy. Feeling partly responsible for the death of Superman (Henry Cavill) in “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” Batman becomes a reluctant leader as he and Wonder Woman bring the squad together. Heroes both new and old undergo their own arcs, to varying degrees — involving the topics of grief, faith, hope, and unity in times of crisis.

Aiming to please those who willed it into existence, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is difficult to recommend to viewers who aren’t already fans of the DC Cinematic Universe. The film contains moments of emotional resonance and visual spectacle, but proves grueling by the final hour — reverting to predictable plotting and repetitive, CGI-reliant action sequences.

At least the central characters are given more opportunities to shine. From its opening frames, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” establishes itself as a slower, mournful affair, with a 4:3 aspect ratio, dour chapter titles, muted color palette, and a clearer sense of organization. Snyder has crafted an unarguably more coherent storyline than before, maintaining a grittier tone than the original cut and giving scenes more time to breathe. Even though the storytelling itself is clunky, largely thanks to hit-or-miss dialogue and frequent exposition dumps, I appreciate Snyder’s ambition. 

The added depth to Cyborg (a.k.a Victor Stone) is particularly noteworthy. After Victor and his mother are killed in a car crash, his father, Silas Stone (Joe Morton) uses a Mother Box to resurrect Victor in a robotic body. Thanks to his new abilities, Victor becomes an all-powerful presence, able to tap into the world’s technological web with ease, and representing the League’s key to vanquishing Steppenwolf. Despite his powers, Cyborg is gripped with resentment towards his father and deeply uncertain of his own future. Fisher’s acting is endearing and empathetic, the most convincing in the entire film. His character  — practically deserving of its own standalone installment — remains the heart and soul of the whole endeavour. 

The Flash (a.k.a. Barry Allen) is also further fleshed out, but his journey lacks the nuance and complexity of Cyborg’s. He is much more confident in his speedy capabilities and doesn’t spout as many cringey quips as in the 2017 iteration. Batman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, on the other hand, aren’t given much new material to work with under Snyder’s guidance, but we’re given more context for their actions. This helps create a stronger sense of flow from scene to scene than before, and all the actors give decent performances.

In terms of antagonists, Steppenwolf’s goals are more clearly outlined. Exiled from his demonic homeworld, he’s trying to prove himself to his master, Darkseid. Even though we understand where he’s coming from, Steppenwolf is still difficult to empathize with. Revealing more about his history doesn’t automatically fix his blandness or render him memorable. He’s big, powerful, odd-looking, and ready to slice and dice his way to victory.

Speaking of violence, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is rated R, allowing Snyder to indulge in bloody carnage that feels far more visceral than other cinematic comic book offerings. As expected, however, Snyder deploys an over-abundance of slow motion to present every shot as a work of art to be gawked at. Yes, there’s instances of beauty in his eye-popping, effects-heavy compositions, but they lose their thrill as the hours pile up.

Combined with an unnecessary epilogue that’s purely fan service, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” doesn’t quite justify its existence for casual moviegoers. Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly support Snyder’s efforts to realize his vision. That being said, four hours is a huge time commitment, especially when viewed in a single sitting, and his film doesn’t differentiate itself enough to truly stand out.

A self-serious, over-indulgent, yet admirable effort, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” isn’t the masterpiece that some have touted it as, but it proves sporadically enjoyable. I just needed a long nap afterwards.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is a 2021 release from Warner Brothers that is exclusively showing on HBOMax, as of March 18. It stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Henry Cavill, Ray Fisher and Ezra Miller as the six superheroes in the DC Justice League. is Rated R for violence and some language. It has a run time of 242 minutes. Alex’s Grade: B –