British comedian John Bishop recently appeared on The Graham Norton Show and told the hilariously bizarre story of how he got into the industry 25 years ago.  He’d split from his wife and with nothing better to do on a Monday evening, he walked into a local bar hosting an “open mic” comedy night.  He had no interest in participating but, to avoid paying the standard £4 cover charge, he threw his name on the registration sheet.  In front of a tiny crowd, he crafted an unscripted 15-minute stand-up routine by talking humorously about his relationship breakdown.

Bishop’s story became the inspiration for Is This Thing On?  Will Arnett and Mark Chappell wrote a first draft which was then refined by Bradley Cooper (Maestro) when he came on board as director.  In addition to his screenwriting credit, Arnett (Arrested Development) steps into the lead role of Alex Novak – they didn’t use Bishop’s real name given it’s a loose adaptation.  The film opens with Alex and his wife, Tess (Dern), having a nonchalant conversation in the bathroom and mutually agreeing to “call time” on their marriage.  They tell their family, friends and two children and then, roughly one-third into the movie, Alex stumbles into a busy bar, steps up to the mic, and begins his career pivot.

Is This Thing On? does a nice job building subplots off the main crux.  Alex enjoys the adrenaline rush when on stage, but we also see him become friends with other stand-up comics who offer laughs, advice and companionship.  It’s sorely needed in the aftermath of his splintered marriage.  On that topic, Tess is a significant focus within the film as she too looks for rejuvenation by becoming a professional volleyball coach.  Their respective sea changes have brought them happiness which may, unexpectedly, bring them back together.  Arnett and Dern deserve praise for their performances as they astute capture the emotions associated with their problems, many of them self-inflicted.

Not every part of the film works.  Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and a quirky Bradley Cooper play two close friends of the headline couple.  They serve as a point of comparison (their marriage is very different) but I didn’t find them overly interesting or useful.  Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds are two great actors but have little to do as Alex’s parents.  A cameo from former footballer Peyton Manning is a weird distraction.

Is This Thing On? digs a little deeper than your average romantic comedy and that alone makes it worth a look.