Is This Thing On? review funny is as funny does in Bradley Cooper's John Bishop-inspired tale

"Arnett plays Alex, a regular guy with a regular job, married with two young kids but unhappily heading for divorce. He discovers standup comedy by performing in an open mic slot one night on a weed-fuelled whim, and finds that audiences love his unfunny but sweetly honest confessional ramblings. And then he kind of improves but are we supposed to think by the end that he is, in fact, genuinely funny? It's not entirely clear."

"This is a kind of remarriage comedy, directed and co-written by Bradley Cooper who also appears, interestingly awarding himself a classic Arnett-type role: an annoying and grinningly conceited unemployed actor called Balls (is that a first name? Surname? Nickname?). The film was inspired by an autobiographical anecdote by the British comic John Bishop, who says he semi-accidentally stumbled into comedy one night in the midst of divorce depression."

Will Arnett portrays Alex, a married father with a regular job who is unhappily heading for divorce. He discovers standup comedy after performing an open-mic slot one night on a weed-fuelled whim and finds that audiences respond to his unfunny but sweetly honest confessional ramblings. He gradually improves, though the film leaves ambiguity about whether he is genuinely funny. The film is likable, spirited and nicely acted but not entirely convincing on its own terms. The story functions as a kind of remarriage comedy directed and co-written by Bradley Cooper, who appears in a grinningly conceited Arnett-type role called Balls. The film was inspired by an autobiographical anecdote from British comic John Bishop about semi-accidentally stumbling into comedy during divorce depression.

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