(***)
“Um… I think I’m getting a divorce.” Most future ex-husbands would confide that to friends, family or a therapist. But this lost-in-his-feelings middle-aged man tells an audience of comedy club patrons. Folks who came looking for a laugh.
Actor turned filmmaker Bradley Cooper heads this com/rom/dra. His last ventures, A Star is Born and Maestro, were extremely ambitious projects. Productions the novice director helmed like he was a veteran auteur. That’s the past, this is the present. His dazzling artistry is packed away. This film’s narrative, characters and plights don’t call for grandiose style and melodramatic flourishes. Instead, with cameras on the shoulders of cinematographer Matthew Libatique (Maestro), Cooper steps back from the lavish filmmaking, employs a simpler style and enters a tortured soul’s intimate voyage of self-discovery. As this distraught man stumbles into the kingdom of comedy, for refuge and direction, a lens follows him everywhere. Like an incessant fly or a spy drone.
Those who watch this 124 minutes of perfectly manicured angst (editor Charlie Green, Maestro) may have plausibility issues. But tell that to John Bishop, a former pharmaceutical rep in Manchester, England. Back in 2000, he was weathering a separation from his wife when he walked into the Frog & Bucket comedy club one night. Many years later he’s selling out arenas in England as a standup comedian. That’s a very unique and intriguing story. One that comic actor Will Arnett (Arrested Development), British writer Mark Chappell (See How They Run) and Cooper forged into their script. Bishop’s experience makes this fictionalized story less farfetched.
The marital relationship between Alex Novak (Arnett) and his wife Tess (Laura Dern) is going through a rough spot. It happens. They made it through the seven-year itch, have two young sons, but something’s not right. A breakdown in communication. Pent-up feelings. Mid-life crises. His career as a finance executive ain’t working for him anymore. As a stay-at-home mom, who was a former Olympics-caliber volleyball player, she’s having second thoughts too.
Feeling hemmed in by his Westchester County life, Alex moves from the New York City suburbs into Gotham. One fated night; while cruising around the West Village looking for a drink and to blow off steam, he approaches a comedy club. A bouncer stops him, requests a $15 cover charge and Alex is pissed. He wants to know why others are walking in free. Bouncer, “She signed up for the open mic.” A man of sound mind would head to another bar to drown his sorrows. Instead, Alex signs up for the show. The next thing he knows, he’s standing on stage, under a spotlight and facing a dark room with a crowd who expect comedy mainstays: setup, punchline and conclusion. His first nervous word is, “Um…”
This protagonist stands at the door of change or on the edge of a cliff, depending on your perspective. As he does, the script masterfully builds two storylines. 1. Alex’s voyage of self-discovery through the world of stand-up-comedy. Where a stage is his confessional alter and fellow comics extended family. 2. Alex and Tess deciding if they will mend or end their relationship. Many couples, troubled or not, can empathize with their back and forth.
Just one of the two narratives would suffice. Combined, both plotlines more than adequately fill the screen with growth, setbacks, decision and indecision. Dating, one-night stands and reconciliations. Enough romance, comedy and drama to keep adult audiences amused and beguiled. They won’t laugh themselves silly. Or cry into their popcorn. Nor likely have life-changing epiphanies. But this sweet, humorous lovers’ ode will charm them.
Cooper’s intuitive directing fits the entire ensemble. He pushes Arnette to explore Alex’s psyche, feelings and actions in ways that showcase the actor’s talent. While Arnett makes Alex an approachable, likable and somewhat bewildered character. Cooper also encourages Dern to express all the complicated emotions of a woman who’s been jilted. Sadness and fear to anger and courage: “Don’t ambush me in front of the boys. You suck!” Dern’s performance underscores Tess’s ambivalence and ultimate fortitude.
The couple’s best friends flesh out their social circle and juxtapose a frayed marriage against a seemingly stable one. His buddy Balls (sublimely played by Cooper), a filmmaker, and his gossipy wife Christine (Andra Day in a very subtle performance) give advice they might need for themselves. The foursome seem like natural friends. Nothing wild and freaky, like a Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. Nor overly hysterical, like Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel. Just folks. Upper middle-class folks.
For some, the comedy club scenes will be an adventurous exploration. Hard to think of a movie that’s looked at comedy this way. Stage jitters, fumbling jokes, circumspect one-liners and comradery. The family life is almost as engaging. Especially when Nick interacts with his pushy, eccentric mom (Christine Ebersole) and his laconic, supportive dad (Ciarán Hines, Belfast). These scenes have a lively, welcoming TV sitcomish feel.
The two different worlds are well displayed. Suburban homes, NYC apartments and dark, comedy rooms all feel real because production designer Kevin Thompson, set decorator Rebecca Meis DeMarco and costume designer Gali Noy keep things simple and believable. The film’s very modern spirit is augmented by the audio track. Composer James Newberry’s music fills in the cracks. The playlist has a bounce. Especially when the infectious David Bowie/Queen song “Under Pressure” plays. It’s the film’s Greek chorus: “Pressure. Pushing down on me. Pressing down on you… Under pressure. That burns a building down. Splits a family in two… Can’t we give ourselves one more chance?”
Alex is caught between his needs, and that of his wife and family. He’s figuring it out. As he does, all on view builds and builds. Not to a monumental, herculean climax. More to a warm-hearted understanding. Like a lesson learned. The kind that makes you contemplate and think: “Um…”
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4jx0Xgc_Pc
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.