Bradley Cooper’s third film master and a star is born——Divorce and stand-up comedy Is this thing open?— a departure from the musical focus of his previous efforts, but like them, very close to greatness. The actor-director is three-for-three when it comes to films about art and artistry, but at the same time delivers enough thoughtful panache to make you believe he’ll create a masterpiece. Sadly, today was not that day, but the results were still very interesting.
The story, written by Cooper, Mark Chappelle and the film’s star Will Arnett, begins when sullen financier Alex Novak (Arnett) and his anxious housewife wife Tess (Laura Dern) decide to separate. It’s a spontaneous moment that seems to have been developed after lengthy consideration off-screen, and while the frame provides little context for their reasons, the film opens up space for the two characters to rehash their relationship in some unique and alluring ways. The couple’s ten-year-old boy embraced the amicable separation, even if it meant dividing their time between Tess’s suburban home and Alex’s new bachelor pad in Manhattan. Yet, in response to this unexpected grief, Alex found himself—at first by accident, then by design—letting his troubles pour out in the form of some decidedly ordinary stand-up comedy at various open mic nights at New York’s Comedy Cellar. It’s an experiment he keeps close to his heart, like a dirty secret whose gradual unveiling leads to some hilarious sitcom moments.
Cooper and cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s camera ties most of his scenes into uncomfortable close-ups of Alex as he finds ways to turn his impending divorce into fodder for his acting, taking cues from more seasoned comics in scenes filled with wit. All the while, he and Tess remain in each other’s orbit, gradually working through the awkward complexities of remaining close despite going their separate ways. at first, Is this thing open? It’s like the story of an artist discovering his hidden talent, but despite Alex’s propensity for catharsis, it rarely helps him resolve his avoidant personality or the lingering tensions that prevent him and Tess from figuring out their new dynamic. After all, men do [insert hobby here] Instead of going to therapy.
The supporting cast surrounding the couple juggles Alex’s loving parents (Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds) and a long list of married friends, including a troubled actor named Powers played by Cooper himself. Unfortunately, these B-plots often feel more intrusive than informative, especially when Cooper lets the camera run for long periods of time (often on himself), revealing little about the characters and driving the story even less forward. Still, even if Cooper had the ability to leave some of his improvisations on the cutting room floor, they’re still unique and entertaining enough.
However, when Will and Tess are the focus of the film, its audiovisual pleasures never end. Cooper moves between scenes with furious momentum; one raucous transition in particular really brings the family’s dilemma to the stage, while James Newbery’s jazzy score creates numerous anxious climaxes at every turn. His commitment to capturing drama in real time results in engaging and arresting dialogue scenes in which the camera—even as it visibly swings between the protagonists without cutting away—offers his actors the opportunity to dig deep into the uncertainty beneath their confident, personable exteriors. These are masks of politeness they wear in front of each other, even in pleasant interactions, if it means they never blame themselves for the breakup. But as Alex explores stand-up comedy and Tess attempts to return to her former career as a volleyball coach (with the help of an acquaintance played, naturally, by former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning), the duo also explores a complicated friends-versus-interests dynamic, and the question of whether they will admit their mistakes to themselves — let alone to each other — continues to arise.
|
Is this thing open? ★★★(3/4 stars) |
The thorny evolution of the couple’s relationship illustrates an artistic desire to solve some kind of puzzle that has no easy answers. Cooper and Arnett have both been through divorce themselves, and the film captures vignettes of reality with energy, particularly in isolated moments when its protagonists become more worried, depressed, or aggrieved, sometimes all at the same time. As a performance piece, Is this thing open? It’s impeccable, leading to Arnett’s surprising frustration and Dunn’s excellent work, whose muted reactions and introspection speak louder than words. However, without a real goal, the adrenaline of a movie’s plot tends to wear off over time. The film ultimately has too many unanswered questions and no dramatic rigor to justify them, even as its plot wraps up succinctly (albeit too quickly and conveniently).
More broadly, one has to wonder whether Cooper has taken the criticism of his previous work to heart. “No one wants an Oscar as much as Bradley Cooper,” Alex Abad-Santos wrote at Vox, calling him a “hard tryer” in one article. It’s just one of several emotions that have accompanied his career as a writer, director, actor, producer (and occasionally singer), although this time around, he’s largely removed himself from the on-screen equation and turned his attention away from music entirely. Unfortunately, it’s at odds with the visual energy he usually brings to his films. I also wrote in 2023 that he should direct a musical directly, and that sentiment holds true here, as he moves the camera purposefully around each performer, creating a mesmerizing rhythm even when other parts of the film don’t necessarily fit.
I tend to disagree with assessments like Abad-Santos’ because of how much of Cooper’s work is imbued with emotional sincerity, whether his end goal is some intimate emotional cleansing or simply winning a trophy. Then again, in the strongly rendered but confusing a star is bornmore convincing but with reservations masternow more focused but less ambitious Is this thing open?— the story of all artists discovering themselves by opening their veins and showing an audience what pours out — is there really a difference between a desire for catharsis and a major accolade? Cooper’s latest is clearly the work of a man who’s experienced personal pain, and like Alex Novak, he’s trying to use his own pain as the basis for not just something healing, but something hilarious, albeit something very imperfect as well.
