Is This Thing On?

★★★★ The Guardian

In this fictionalised retelling of the life of British comedian John Bishop, Bradley Cooper directs Will Arnett (Bojack Horseman) as Alex, a New York salaryman whose marriage to Tess (Laura Dern) has sputtered out. In need of a drink one night, in order to avoid the door charge, he puts his name down a comedy open mic. Telling the truth about his failings, his desires and his shame proves to be the key, not just to getting the laughs on stage, but on finding new connections.

Compared with A Star is Born and Maestro, Bradley Cooper’s third directed feature could be mistaken for less dramatic. But what it lacks in sweep, it more than makes up for in powerful detail. This is not a typical triumphant film about someone unlocking a world-conquering talent. Instead, it’s a human-sized story about the power of art to allow us to connect with blocked parts of ourselves.