February 5, 2026 • 25 mins
In this episode of TV Reload, hosts Benjamin Norris and Brose Avard discuss the new film Is This Thing On? They dive into the movie's themes of reinvention, relationships and finding one's voice. The hosts share their thoughts on the film's portrayal of a stand-up comedian's journey, the chemistry between the lead actors Will Arnett and Laura Dern. And how the director Bradley Cooper film balances the comedy and drama. They also discuss the film's score, the performances of the cast and the movie's ability to tackle tough conversations. With a mix of humour and insight, Benjamin and Brose break down the film's strengths and weaknesses.
FILM: IS THIS THING ON?
DISTRIBUTOR: WALT DISNEY PICTURE COMPANY
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reload the podcast last week. Hey everyone, welcome back
to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris, and today
I am joined by my movie review partner in crime,
brose Ard, the Man, the Myth, the chat Flick's legend, himself.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good An. Hey doing man, I'm doing very well.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
So before I get started, I feel like I want
to do something very quickly because we are talking about
a Disney release today. Yes, but I want to ask
you about the Muppets because special.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I did watch The Muppets Special, or as everybody knows,
I love it. It's the least backdoor pilot of backdoor
pilots in the history of a backdoor pilot. But I
did tear up twice, if that's okay with everyone. I
thought it was excellent. I thought it was really well done.
The only question is Kermit the Frog's voice is a
bit weird and some people have really gone crazy online.
There's so much we can do about it. Kermit's voice
(00:52):
is what Kermit's voice is right now.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
It almost sounded from what I could hear because I
watched a channel Line clip of Richard Wilkins talking to
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Of course. Yeah, he's a big, big friend of the Muppets.
I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Yeah, well he's the Muppet himself. I was going to
say though, that it did sound like Kermit's voice was
noticeably different. It sounded like he was maybe a bit deeper.
Is that what you took from it?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah? Yeah, Well the Jim Henson obviously was Kermit from
I don't even know, not in fifty five all the
way up to he passed away, and then Steve Whitmyer
took over. And then there was some controversy around Steve Whitmyer.
He was let go from both Jim Hanson Productions and
Disney at the same time, and so then he was
replaced by how my brain's gone completely?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Was he doing something a little bit untoward? Like was
he putting his hand up the back of puppets? I mean,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, I'm not going to make any jokes about that.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
You have to walk away from that one, don't we
let it go?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
But yeah, a bit of unrest there, But everyone else
sounded really good, and I don't know, it was just exciting,
just exciting to have new muppets and as The New
York Times said, the Muppet Show didn't need to be
rejigged or reconfigured or whatever. Just do it as it
was fifty years ago, and it's perfect and it was,
so that's good.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Today we are reviewing a brand new comedy drama. Is
This Thing On? A film about reinvention, relationships and finding
your voice when life doesn't really go the way that
you had planned. I guess that's probably the best way
to say this before we get started. This is a
little tease of what we'll be talking about today. Here's
the promo for Is This Thing On?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
What is the problem? No, No, it's complicated. You don't
have to tell me that.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I guess we just slowly grew away from each other.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You two have always been very different.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Why are you doing up? Getting a divorce?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You cheatd No, you didn't cheat?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Did you get a divorce?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
That's a white guy shit? I did doing stand up?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Is it like a hobby?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Why I'm like, ibout to quit my job and going tour?
It's just that's something I look for it.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Listen, do you mind if I dropped them off here
for a couple of hours.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And ambush me like this in front of the Boys.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Can you suck? You Suck?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
I just want to start by saying last week we
were on the money with this film being a heavy
character piece and less of a comedy.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
What do you think, Yeah, I mean this is definitely
a character study. As we said, there's a nice intimate
film backed up by lots of very extreme close ups
as well the various characters.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Those close ups worked really well with creating this environment
and taking us into that world. And as you say,
this film follows Alex who's the protagonist, a man staring
down middle age, which I guess you and I both
could easily relate to in some ways. You know, he's
impending divorce who unexpectedly finds new purpose from performing stand
up comedy in New York's very brutal open mic scene,
(03:40):
which I've actually checked out before and I think you
may have as well. Yeah, how do you feel about
the world that Bradley Cooper is able to bring to life?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah? I quite like the club scenes especially, And you know,
there's a whole gamut of scene shot at the Comedy Seller,
which is a very famous comedy club. Jerry Seinfeld's the Comedian.
He spends a lot of time at the Comedy Seller,
and I believe before the fiftieth SNL celebration, Steve Martin,
Martin Short and third comic I can't remember now, was
(04:09):
it Chris Rock Maybe? Anyway, they went to the Comedy
Seller and got up and did a few bits to
rehearse for the SNL fiftieth which is amazing. But yeah,
if you pop into it, if you're in New York,
you go to Comedy Seller, you're going to see someone
you recognize. David Tel was kind of the only big
name that they used in the Seller that didn't really
spend time with anyone else. But yeah, I gave you
a really good sense of that kind of camaraderie, that
(04:30):
kind of you know, hanging out together, hanging crap on
each other, and just the energy in that room was
really tasty. Yeah, I'd love those scenes especially, but overall
the whole film was beautiful as well.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Well. I think as well, this is the backdrop to
a much bigger story as well, because it is very
much about these two people who've fallen out of love,
or they believe they've fallen out of love, and the
conflict that I think happens that's very relatable for everybody
in a long term relationship. But it's very interesting to
also follow the journey Laura Dern's character Tess, who is
(05:01):
really coming to terms with, you know, the sacrifices that
she's made in her life after becoming you know, she
was very successful, this character in sport.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And they're an Olympic volleyball player, amazing all things. Yeah,
she was a marriage counselor in marriage story.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So wow, she was and she won an Oscar for
that exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Alex and Tess have been married for twenty years. They're
both stuck in lives they didn't bargain for, and she
knows something's got to change.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
I really like the pairing of Willannette and Laura Dern
in this as well, because I find Laura Dern, I
don't know, sometimes when she's in movies or TV shows,
i'd feel like she always fits. But I feel like
Willaninette and her really fit together. It felt like a
real couple to me, if that makes sense. And then
giving her the athletic background kind of helped too. I
think it just helps explain I don't know why Laura
Durn looks like Laura Durn does it's right, if that
(05:58):
makes sense. She's a very thin person, athletic person, So
I don't know that there was this nice kind of
chemistry between the two. But also on a simple level,
they just look proper together, Like they just look like
they could be a couple, right.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
They capture something about relationships which I thought would be
very hard to do, and that is that longevity of
feeling like these people.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Have been been together the whole time.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, living in a suitcase for you know, twenty years,
you know what I mean, Like, yeah, no room to breathe,
and they are doing that. And I think that this film,
which is very funny, awkward, honest, very honest in so
many ways that sometimes you feel just as uncomfortable watching
some of the stand up not landing as much as
the characters finding themselves in conversations that are brutally honest.
(06:42):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, there's that really great moment too, where he's told
after a gig that he's good. He's not a good
stand up, but he's a good person, and that gets
kind of reflected later on with a conversation with Laura Dunwood.
But yeah, really nice the way there are some parallels
all the way through this film. It's really really clever
writing throughout and then really good perform which is the
script is interesting. Obviously. Bradley Cooper directs, producers and co
(07:04):
wrote or co producers. Will Arnette also co wrote and
co produced this film as well, which surprised me. I
didn't realize that he had that credit. Mark Chappell also
has a screenplay story credit, and the story is based
on a true story. You saw that at the end
of the film it comes up, which is John Bishop,
an English comedian separated from his partner in two thousand
for eighteen months, so over two thousand, two thousand and one.
(07:24):
And yeah, Will Arnette met this John Bishop comedian in
the UK and he told him his story and Will said, ah,
this is a good idea for a movie. It's a
very honest depiction of what it's like to.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Be lost, to be in love, to be broken in love.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Obviously, this really is his film. I think a lot
of people entering it might think it's a Bradley Cooper incentive,
but in action, in fact, it was Will who had
found this story and had been working on it for
many years. So yeah, you know, trying to get something
like this which is a character piece up and running
and financed would be very difficult. But I guess convincing
someone like Bradley Cooper with the awards that he'd sort
(08:05):
of been getting and the he probably could get anything
green lip at this stage.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Possibly, Yeah. I mean, he's got myestro green lit. So
and I think it's good because we talked about it
a bit in the last episode. But Bradley Cooper's gone
it on these big epic films, but this is perfect.
You can actually see his skills as a director in
this film. As opposed to those big films. I feel
like he got a bit lost and a bit overwhelmed
by everything he was trying to do within the budget
(08:29):
and the timeframe. But because this is much a smaller picture,
you can like some of the camera work that's done
again in those club scenes is exceptional. You know, the
way the camera will move away to the audience but
then comes straight back to will Arnette's close up of
his face, and like, there's really nice stuff going on
in this film. So it's better opportunity for Bradley Cooper
as a film director to show that he has some
skills as a film director, I think, and as a
(08:51):
supporting cast member. It's Bradley Cooper, not just the best
supporting cast character actor in the history of film or
like that's an exaggeration, but how funny is in this
and how good is it? Like he's just charming.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
It did feel to me as though this character he
worked a lot on. I actually felt like he might
have overcooked it a little bit.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Oh you did, did you a little bit overcooked?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah? I did feel like sometimes he was so I
guess it's the comic relief, right, and that's what he
was trying to do, And for a lot of people, yeah,
will have worked. Sometimes it did take me out of
the story. Like, you know, they were trying to create
this whole four seasons type Netflix friendship group in the background.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Do you know there was a bit of a Tina
fe Alan Alder four seasons thing going on exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
And I don't know whether his character slotted in as
believable to be a part of this friend group. I
don't know. Is that strange for you to hear me
say that.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
No, I understand what you're saying. I just I lost
Bradley Cooper very quickly while watching it. I only saw
the character after a while Wow, and so I really
locked in. I didn't mind that at all.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Let's take Bradley Cooper in this podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So yeah, yeah, see what he thinks about it. I
did love that line too, where he's wearing the cowboy
hat and Bradley Cooper's character just as my wife thinks
I look cute in this hat, It's like, you're Bradley Cooper.
Of course you look cute, you idiot.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Absolutely. I mean, it can't really go wrong except some
of the facelift photos of not very kind to him.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Maybe that's why there's so much facial air in this one.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
I want to loop back to something though about our
protagonists Will Unett. Yeah, sure, Alex, And I thought what
was really interesting about him is that people know him
for full comedy mode. Do you know arrested development? Thirty
Rock has some of the performances that stay with me
in this This is a real shift because his vulnerability
and the way that he puts himself out there with
(10:32):
his characters or inspiring because it feels dangerous at times.
It feels like a lot of his performance could fall
on its face, and yet everything he does you feel
like you're rooting for him, or there's some warm and
film would work without it, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Did you see? I think it's a Netflix series Flaked,
that will Annette did a few years ago, and that's
a kind of more of a drama or a drama
y or a comedy without jokes, So how do we
want to describe it? And in that it's a more
serious role. But he kind of just doesn't do anything,
whereas in this at least he's learnt how to you
know with film, you know, less facial movement, less movement
generally as better as you know, one of the things
(11:07):
you hear. Whereas, yeah, he kind of went from Flaked,
which I found he was just kind of boring, wasn't
doing anything either way, whereas in this, yeah, he's really,
like you're saying, he's really worked out how to get
that emotion across in a drama, really get that vulnerability across.
So I think he has kind of been tapping away
at this part of his acting ability over the last
ten years or so, just on the side, and he's
(11:28):
nailed it, Like he's got there. So I'm glad he
went through other experiences with a bit more straight or
acting to get here, because if he'd done this ten
years ago. I think it would have been kind of awful.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
I don't think he could have made those leaps.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Though, you know, yeah, I don't think he could have either. No, exactly, go.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Back to that word dangerous, you know what I mean, Like,
I felt like this was dangerous for him to do
because the vulnerability of the character. But it also brings
me to a big debate. Do you think that comedy
actors actually make the best dramatic leads.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
People like to say that, but I don't think that's
necessarily a gi them. Like, it's a broad statement to make,
and I'm sure you can pick holes in it very
easily and very quickly, but because vice versa, I mean,
Leslie Neilson was a very serious, very competent dramatic actor,
and he made a great comedian as well. So I
don't know. I don't like generalizations, but we have had
(12:16):
some mean Jim Carrey and Rob Williams, Steve Martin as
well for that matter, and even Adam Sadler's had a
couple of great dramatic roles. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah,
I don't like to make that generalization, but you definitely
argue that.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
And then you've got sort of Laura Dern, who we
know to be a very serious character actor. You know,
she's continuously delivering which we sort of touched upon before,
but I also felt like for her, I don't know,
it's she had so much to say in this role
without saying as much. You know, kind of used to
her being very talkiest, Yeah, very fast spoken, you know,
(12:49):
like you know, with some whipping dialogue. You know, we're
in this she's kind of removed that in a way,
which I feel like is removing a net from who
she is. She's removed her comfortability.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah. I think it's comes down to obviously she's a
great actor, and it's solid writing as well. Obviously she
understood the character very very well as well. And yeah,
she does some great stuff in this without like you're saying,
without doing very much at all, but very much has
a strong character as well, which is nice. There's a
nice moment where Alex's mum meets her after she's coming
(13:19):
home from a jog, and you know, Alex's mum goes
in for a hug straight away. But Laura Durn's characters
you know, still kind of hot and sweaty from a run,
I guess, and there's like I delays the hug and
they have a conversation there. But it's just a really
nice character moment for Laura Dern. I think, you know,
it's a nothing scene, but you can see that she's
definitely aware of her character and the space the character's
in headspace as well as the physical space. Like it's
(13:41):
just a really nice some nice choices from Laura Dern,
and that extends throughout the whole film, you know, even
the stuff when they're at Oyster Bay is really nice, a.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Holiday place that they go to with all of their
friend group. The yeah in now say four seasons friend group.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
What did you think, let's get back to the friend
group for a second. What did you think about Sewana
Hayes and Scott Icen Nogel. I guess his name is.
I don't even how to pronounce that Ice and nogl Anyway,
Stephen and Jeffrey, they're kind of almost token gay couple
that don't have any personality or character arc whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Talk about tripping it back, Like I was, like, you know,
Sean Hayes in this film is so stripped back. But
I think that was also a point and a choice
because they were sort of living a heteronormative life slotted
in there and then yeah, true, having them have you know,
maybe some of the usual LGBTI relationship troubles I guess,
or yeah, hopes. You know, they decided to just play
(14:36):
them as the couple whose relationship probably is working compared.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's the it's the control, yeah yeah,
case yeah, yeah. And I thought that scene with Ordre
Day and Sean Hayes was really beautiful where they're just
singing Amazing Grace as they're serving breakfast at Oyster Bay.
Like again, it just you don't need it there, but
it was just a wonderful little moment.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
It made it seem like that's you were on the
holiday with them, and that was a choice, you know,
that was very well delivered.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I think my brain really well done.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Yeah, we kept making those decisions. I really want to
move into something very quickly before we sort of talk
about our scores and the movie. Yes, the soundtrack score,
which was done by an.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Australian by the way, Oh wow nice.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
But do you think that the comedy and the drama.
I guess the emotion was balanced correctly because I did
find that I struggled, and this will be reflected in
my score at the end. There's some amazing monologues. There's
some amazing things that this film does in terms of
making the audience think. But I did have a little
bit of difficulty balancing the comedy with the drama. How
(15:37):
did you feel in.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Which pacific moments? Though? Is that the stand up that
you found a bit awkward or is it?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Well, brother Cooper's going to be happy that I say this,
But the uncomfortability about a stand up comic getting up
there and being vulnerable like that felt equally balanced by
the awkwardness of the relationships between the two main characters
struggles that they had. But I don't know whether I
enjoyed always like that.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah right once we left the club that it was
going to be a bit more serious, an unbalanced.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Or just don't know whether I felt comfortable the whole.
And that's maybe why I'm saying. You know, brother, listening
to this, he'd be like, well, bang on the money, bend.
Are you going to recommend this film though to other
people and be like it's an enjoyable film? Like, I
think it's thought provoking and good. After movie date conversation
to have if you've been in a long term relationship,
(16:28):
you know, to debate some of the conversations. Yeah, but
I just don't know whether that's what people want to
go into this film and feel.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yeah, And I guess for me, I'm a bit biased
in some ways because I've done stand up. I know
stand ups I used to as a kid. I was
a massive stand up nerd, and the stand up is
really done very well in film actors doing stand up
is complicated and it's usually quite awful. Hacks is one
that I refer too often as where they just nailed
it and you actually believe that that's a real stand
(16:57):
up in that show, and it's fantastic Will And it's
done of live comedy. Now that he's got his podcast
and he is obviously a comedian, I think he does
a really good job representing a stet up. So I
think every time I went to the club, I was
locked in, and so everything else I just enjoyed as
soon as I go, as long as I was going
to get back to the comedy seller. So there's a
few things going on for me where yeah, maybe I
wasn't as offset by the balance as you were.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
I just don't know if those plates set as well
together as Yeah, I think they. I think they thought
they were being much smarter than maybe it is, you know,
And whether or not those plates aligned for everyone in
the audience, that's up to everyone's interview.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, Yeah, it was weird. We never really find out
what Alex does for a living and how many hours
he works or doesn't work, Like he has a full
time job in finance. That's never reflected in the film,
which I found unusual and weird. I mean assume that's
why he moved into an apartment in New York rather
than New Jersey was because he lives he works in
New York already, but.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
He must have had a long career doing something that
was making him some.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Money exactly because he was paying a mortgage in a
house that he doesn't even live in.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
So and they really it's played that to make sure
we understood that. When we went and saw that girl
that he banged, Yeah, and her apartment reminded me of
you know New York apartments, which everything at one place
exactly walks.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Through the front door and you're already in the bed. Yeah,
it was a very big apartment. I made the same
observation multiple times.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Just moving into some of the other parts of this
which we normally touch upon. The music was actually done
by an Australian James Newbury. Yeah, has just done the
score for an Australian horror we Bury the Dead, but yeah,
he's based here. I thought that it was a very
interesting soundtrack, you know. And I thought it was very
well done and it suited this kind of indie style film.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, definitely, I absolutely agree. It's not that I would
say it's subtle, but it knows its place in this environment.
It definitely encourages the emotion because there are a lot
of emotionally charged scenes throughout this And yeah, I thought
it was a great soundtrack. I'm actually going to have
to have a listen to it on its own, I think.
I hope it's on Spotify. And it looks like James
usually does a lot of big, bastic kind of genre stuff,
(19:01):
so for him to do, you know, a smaller intimate
film like this excellent work. Really well done.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Well.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
He's creating worlds. I think with his music it's very
suited to the story and I think that that's what
this movie is, you know. Yeah, I feel like this
film reminds me of Robert Oltman's work. It's really creating
a space that you're interrogating. You know, you might not
be familiar with the open mic nights, but you get
to be in that world. I felt like the score
did something similar to that.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Yeah, I mean it's such a dark, moody film in
part because the other parts of this bright, suburban kind
of world. But yeah, especially those New York scenes, I
think the score does an exceptional job.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, I'm going to ask you about your rating because,
like I think I've sort of touched into a lot
of how I've felt about this film, and I don't Yeah,
I don't yet know how you feel about it.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
But I really enjoyed this film. I had a lot
of fun, and like I said, you know, coincides a
lot of my own personal interests, and I like a
little intimate character study. I like I said, last episode
that will on Ed I'm a bit hot and cold
on but I'm definitely hot on him in this film.
Like I think, like you are saying, he really brings it.
He knows what he's doing. Him and Bradley Cooper, I
assume we'll have known each other for quite a long time.
(20:06):
Bradley Cooper's first film was with Will Arnett's ex wife,
Fami Pohla. They would have hung out, it sat in
ourlive together at different times. I assume they have a
reasonable relationship. Bradley Cooper's friends with a lot of comedic
actors and comedians, and I think those two must have
worked really hard together to get that right, that performance
from Will. I definitely feel that. And Altho, this is
(20:26):
probably Will Arnette's greatest performance on well on the silver
screen at the very least. And yea, Laura Dern, it's.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Easily his best performance. Yeah, you know, I don't think
he's going to top this performance. I mean it was incredible.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah. And then Laura Dern, I mean, she's always great
and everyone I haven't seen it give a bad performance
in anything, and so she's fantastic. I think I was
a little bit more forgiving than you were, perhaps for me.
I definitely want to see it again. I definitely recommend
it to people, you know that are any of any
interest in stand up And if anyone out there is
curious about how stand up actually works, it gives you
(20:59):
a little of an insight the idea that you've got
to get your reps up. You've got to keep writing material,
you got to keep working out the material. This film
doesn't actually show him working out material as such, and
a couple of times he just improvises whole sets apparently,
and does well on them or not so well, depending
on which set I'm referring. But you know, it does
give you an idea of how stand up does work.
One of the comedians says, you know, how many times
(21:21):
have you been up? But he goes, this is my
second time, and he goes, oh, are we go up five?
And he goes what five times a week? And they're like, oh,
sometimes five times a night, which in New York you
can do. You cannot do that in Melbourne or Sydney.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I remember going to a comedy show with like a
festival with Yeah when Who's a comic And he was
supposed to do their headline and he did the headline
and then they said to him afterwards, you know, we've
got a few spots later in the evening, do you
want to do those? And he went on and did
one at like twelve thirty at night, like yeah, it
was crazy, and he was like, oh, well the later time,
(21:53):
I'm just going to try some new material I've never
done before, and it was funnier. Yeah, the main set
he did earlier.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
So yeah, you know, I have an audience looser later Drunker.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Do I'm want to say his name because then I
might get in trouble.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Joel Creep I assumed it was Joel shout out, but yeah,
so I really like that element of it as well.
And you know, like I said, I just like it
being done well as well and not ham fisted. You
can check out I think it's Comedian with Robert de
Niro if you want to see it done.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Really badly, I won't know how many stars.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Three and a half. I'm going to give this three
and a half for all those reasons I've already said.
I love the New yorkiness of it. I love the
I loved seeing the path. I loved seeing the Amtrak
train out to Oyster Bay. I love Sean Hayes popping
up in it. I love the dynamic between obviously Laura
Dernan Will Annette. Yeah, three and a half stars. I'm
excited to see it again. I'll recommend it to everyone.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
At the moment, I'm going to give it three stars.
And I was originally going to give it two and
a half stars. Cool, I've brought you up. I felt
like it was making me a little bit too uncomfortable.
Maybe I didn't want to go to that. I don't
know if I want to go to the space that
I went to with this film. And afterwards, I did
have conversations with my partner about some things, and you know,
(23:08):
this is a very awkward space to be and so
I just don't want to give it too many stars
and drag people into a movie saying it's much better
than it is when an actual fact. For a lot
of people, I think they'll find it quite uncomfortable at times.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
There are definitely some of the yeah, the discussions and
the divorce moments, and you know, as will Unet and
Laura to unpack their relationship, very confronting, definitely, but I
thought the balance was good.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
For people who want to go and see it. Definitely
check that out. But next week, we have been coming
and erring, texting back and forward, and we are going
to wear bros.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
We are going to wuthering hides. I believe, how old
do you know this story?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
I feel like I don't know this story.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
I don't know it at all. I actually have no
idea what Wuthering Heights is about. I thought it was
just a song went too long, but apparently apparently it's
a whole story.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
We've got that long song that went on for too long,
but also take it on.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
For too long. We've got Bamian Rhapsody of film. We've
got Wuthering Heights the film. We're gonna have Stairway to
Heaven next the I mean, we were rumming and ring
about it, and look, it may not be the kind
of film that you would think we would definitely necessarily
get into, but I mean there's two great Australian actors
right at the top with Margot Robbie and Jacob Lordie,
(24:24):
the Oscar nominated Jacob Alordi and the Oscar winning.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
No, she's nominated before, but she's never won.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Right, So two Oscar nominated Australian actors there. And like
it's a big costume piece. It hasn't been nominated for
any Oscars, which I'm curious about. But I still think
it's going to be just a bit of fun. I'm
trying to get those pride and prejudice feels for it
from you know, twenty years ago. Also twenty five years,
trying to see if it's going to have that kind
of energy that brings me in like like that did
(24:50):
the mini series.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
So trailer is not getting me going, I am not.
I don't know. It hasn't wet my whistle.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Is that the right way to Yeah, that's fine, that's
exactly right.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I just don't know. Look, I'm going to go into
it with an open mind. You know, I do want
to support our assis taking on these two big roles.
This movie has been made before. This is a very
iconic story for a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
So it's also directed by a promising young woman and
Saltburns and Barbie's no she pops up on Bobby Emerald
Fennel and she is a great director, so hopefully she
brings something new to it as well.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Well we may be shocked. But for this week, we
have a three stars from me and a three and
a half stars from you. If you're absolutely and you
want to go to the movies and you want to
check out a character piece, take along your partner, especially
if they're a long term partner. There will be plenty
of juice in it for you to discuss after the
film
It's in the news today, but it was actually on
TV Reload the podcast last week. Hey everyone, welcome back
to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris, and today
I am joined by my movie review partner in crime,
brose Ard, the Man, the Myth, the chat Flick's legend, himself.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good An. Hey doing man, I'm doing very well.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
So before I get started, I feel like I want
to do something very quickly because we are talking about
a Disney release today. Yes, but I want to ask
you about the Muppets because special.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I did watch The Muppets Special, or as everybody knows,
I love it. It's the least backdoor pilot of backdoor
pilots in the history of a backdoor pilot. But I
did tear up twice, if that's okay with everyone. I
thought it was excellent. I thought it was really well done.
The only question is Kermit the Frog's voice is a
bit weird and some people have really gone crazy online.
There's so much we can do about it. Kermit's voice
(00:52):
is what Kermit's voice is right now.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
It almost sounded from what I could hear because I
watched a channel Line clip of Richard Wilkins talking to
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Of course. Yeah, he's a big, big friend of the Muppets.
I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Yeah, well he's the Muppet himself. I was going to
say though, that it did sound like Kermit's voice was
noticeably different. It sounded like he was maybe a bit deeper.
Is that what you took from it?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah? Yeah, Well the Jim Henson obviously was Kermit from
I don't even know, not in fifty five all the
way up to he passed away, and then Steve Whitmyer
took over. And then there was some controversy around Steve Whitmyer.
He was let go from both Jim Hanson Productions and
Disney at the same time, and so then he was
replaced by how my brain's gone completely?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Was he doing something a little bit untoward? Like was
he putting his hand up the back of puppets? I mean,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, I'm not going to make any jokes about that.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
You have to walk away from that one, don't we
let it go?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
But yeah, a bit of unrest there, But everyone else
sounded really good, and I don't know, it was just exciting,
just exciting to have new muppets and as The New
York Times said, the Muppet Show didn't need to be
rejigged or reconfigured or whatever. Just do it as it
was fifty years ago, and it's perfect and it was,
so that's good.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Today we are reviewing a brand new comedy drama. Is
This Thing On? A film about reinvention, relationships and finding
your voice when life doesn't really go the way that
you had planned. I guess that's probably the best way
to say this before we get started. This is a
little tease of what we'll be talking about today. Here's
the promo for Is This Thing On?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
What is the problem? No, No, it's complicated. You don't
have to tell me that.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I guess we just slowly grew away from each other.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You two have always been very different.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Why are you doing up? Getting a divorce?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You cheatd No, you didn't cheat?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Did you get a divorce?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
That's a white guy shit? I did doing stand up?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Is it like a hobby?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Why I'm like, ibout to quit my job and going tour?
It's just that's something I look for it.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Listen, do you mind if I dropped them off here
for a couple of hours.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And ambush me like this in front of the Boys.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Can you suck? You Suck?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
I just want to start by saying last week we
were on the money with this film being a heavy
character piece and less of a comedy.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
What do you think, Yeah, I mean this is definitely
a character study. As we said, there's a nice intimate
film backed up by lots of very extreme close ups
as well the various characters.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Those close ups worked really well with creating this environment
and taking us into that world. And as you say,
this film follows Alex who's the protagonist, a man staring
down middle age, which I guess you and I both
could easily relate to in some ways. You know, he's
impending divorce who unexpectedly finds new purpose from performing stand
up comedy in New York's very brutal open mic scene,
(03:40):
which I've actually checked out before and I think you
may have as well. Yeah, how do you feel about
the world that Bradley Cooper is able to bring to life?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah? I quite like the club scenes especially, And you know,
there's a whole gamut of scene shot at the Comedy Seller,
which is a very famous comedy club. Jerry Seinfeld's the Comedian.
He spends a lot of time at the Comedy Seller,
and I believe before the fiftieth SNL celebration, Steve Martin,
Martin Short and third comic I can't remember now, was
(04:09):
it Chris Rock Maybe? Anyway, they went to the Comedy
Seller and got up and did a few bits to
rehearse for the SNL fiftieth which is amazing. But yeah,
if you pop into it, if you're in New York,
you go to Comedy Seller, you're going to see someone
you recognize. David Tel was kind of the only big
name that they used in the Seller that didn't really
spend time with anyone else. But yeah, I gave you
a really good sense of that kind of camaraderie, that
(04:30):
kind of you know, hanging out together, hanging crap on
each other, and just the energy in that room was
really tasty. Yeah, I'd love those scenes especially, but overall
the whole film was beautiful as well.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Well. I think as well, this is the backdrop to
a much bigger story as well, because it is very
much about these two people who've fallen out of love,
or they believe they've fallen out of love, and the
conflict that I think happens that's very relatable for everybody
in a long term relationship. But it's very interesting to
also follow the journey Laura Dern's character Tess, who is
(05:01):
really coming to terms with, you know, the sacrifices that
she's made in her life after becoming you know, she
was very successful, this character in sport.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And they're an Olympic volleyball player, amazing all things. Yeah,
she was a marriage counselor in marriage story.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So wow, she was and she won an Oscar for
that exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Alex and Tess have been married for twenty years. They're
both stuck in lives they didn't bargain for, and she
knows something's got to change.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
I really like the pairing of Willannette and Laura Dern
in this as well, because I find Laura Dern, I
don't know, sometimes when she's in movies or TV shows,
i'd feel like she always fits. But I feel like
Willaninette and her really fit together. It felt like a
real couple to me, if that makes sense. And then
giving her the athletic background kind of helped too. I
think it just helps explain I don't know why Laura
Durn looks like Laura Durn does it's right, if that
(05:58):
makes sense. She's a very thin person, athletic person, So
I don't know that there was this nice kind of
chemistry between the two. But also on a simple level,
they just look proper together, Like they just look like
they could be a couple, right.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
They capture something about relationships which I thought would be
very hard to do, and that is that longevity of
feeling like these people.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Have been been together the whole time.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, living in a suitcase for you know, twenty years,
you know what I mean, Like, yeah, no room to breathe,
and they are doing that. And I think that this film,
which is very funny, awkward, honest, very honest in so
many ways that sometimes you feel just as uncomfortable watching
some of the stand up not landing as much as
the characters finding themselves in conversations that are brutally honest.
(06:42):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, there's that really great moment too, where he's told
after a gig that he's good. He's not a good
stand up, but he's a good person, and that gets
kind of reflected later on with a conversation with Laura Dunwood.
But yeah, really nice the way there are some parallels
all the way through this film. It's really really clever
writing throughout and then really good perform which is the
script is interesting. Obviously. Bradley Cooper directs, producers and co
(07:04):
wrote or co producers. Will Arnette also co wrote and
co produced this film as well, which surprised me. I
didn't realize that he had that credit. Mark Chappell also
has a screenplay story credit, and the story is based
on a true story. You saw that at the end
of the film it comes up, which is John Bishop,
an English comedian separated from his partner in two thousand
for eighteen months, so over two thousand, two thousand and one.
(07:24):
And yeah, Will Arnette met this John Bishop comedian in
the UK and he told him his story and Will said, ah,
this is a good idea for a movie. It's a
very honest depiction of what it's like to.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Be lost, to be in love, to be broken in love.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Obviously, this really is his film. I think a lot
of people entering it might think it's a Bradley Cooper incentive,
but in action, in fact, it was Will who had
found this story and had been working on it for
many years. So yeah, you know, trying to get something
like this which is a character piece up and running
and financed would be very difficult. But I guess convincing
someone like Bradley Cooper with the awards that he'd sort
(08:05):
of been getting and the he probably could get anything
green lip at this stage.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Possibly, Yeah. I mean, he's got myestro green lit. So
and I think it's good because we talked about it
a bit in the last episode. But Bradley Cooper's gone
it on these big epic films, but this is perfect.
You can actually see his skills as a director in
this film. As opposed to those big films. I feel
like he got a bit lost and a bit overwhelmed
by everything he was trying to do within the budget
(08:29):
and the timeframe. But because this is much a smaller picture,
you can like some of the camera work that's done
again in those club scenes is exceptional. You know, the
way the camera will move away to the audience but
then comes straight back to will Arnette's close up of
his face, and like, there's really nice stuff going on
in this film. So it's better opportunity for Bradley Cooper
as a film director to show that he has some
skills as a film director, I think, and as a
(08:51):
supporting cast member. It's Bradley Cooper, not just the best
supporting cast character actor in the history of film or
like that's an exaggeration, but how funny is in this
and how good is it? Like he's just charming.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
It did feel to me as though this character he
worked a lot on. I actually felt like he might
have overcooked it a little bit.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Oh you did, did you a little bit overcooked?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah? I did feel like sometimes he was so I
guess it's the comic relief, right, and that's what he
was trying to do, And for a lot of people, yeah,
will have worked. Sometimes it did take me out of
the story. Like, you know, they were trying to create
this whole four seasons type Netflix friendship group in the background.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Do you know there was a bit of a Tina
fe Alan Alder four seasons thing going on exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
And I don't know whether his character slotted in as
believable to be a part of this friend group. I
don't know. Is that strange for you to hear me
say that.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
No, I understand what you're saying. I just I lost
Bradley Cooper very quickly while watching it. I only saw
the character after a while Wow, and so I really
locked in. I didn't mind that at all.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Let's take Bradley Cooper in this podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So yeah, yeah, see what he thinks about it. I
did love that line too, where he's wearing the cowboy
hat and Bradley Cooper's character just as my wife thinks
I look cute in this hat, It's like, you're Bradley Cooper.
Of course you look cute, you idiot.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Absolutely. I mean, it can't really go wrong except some
of the facelift photos of not very kind to him.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Maybe that's why there's so much facial air in this one.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
I want to loop back to something though about our
protagonists Will Unett. Yeah, sure, Alex, And I thought what
was really interesting about him is that people know him
for full comedy mode. Do you know arrested development? Thirty
Rock has some of the performances that stay with me
in this This is a real shift because his vulnerability
and the way that he puts himself out there with
(10:32):
his characters or inspiring because it feels dangerous at times.
It feels like a lot of his performance could fall
on its face, and yet everything he does you feel
like you're rooting for him, or there's some warm and
film would work without it, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Did you see? I think it's a Netflix series Flaked,
that will Annette did a few years ago, and that's
a kind of more of a drama or a drama
y or a comedy without jokes, So how do we
want to describe it? And in that it's a more
serious role. But he kind of just doesn't do anything,
whereas in this at least he's learnt how to you
know with film, you know, less facial movement, less movement
generally as better as you know, one of the things
(11:07):
you hear. Whereas, yeah, he kind of went from Flaked,
which I found he was just kind of boring, wasn't
doing anything either way, whereas in this, yeah, he's really,
like you're saying, he's really worked out how to get
that emotion across in a drama, really get that vulnerability across.
So I think he has kind of been tapping away
at this part of his acting ability over the last
ten years or so, just on the side, and he's
(11:28):
nailed it, Like he's got there. So I'm glad he
went through other experiences with a bit more straight or
acting to get here, because if he'd done this ten
years ago. I think it would have been kind of awful.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
I don't think he could have made those leaps.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Though, you know, yeah, I don't think he could have either. No, exactly, go.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Back to that word dangerous, you know what I mean, Like,
I felt like this was dangerous for him to do
because the vulnerability of the character. But it also brings
me to a big debate. Do you think that comedy
actors actually make the best dramatic leads.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
People like to say that, but I don't think that's
necessarily a gi them. Like, it's a broad statement to make,
and I'm sure you can pick holes in it very
easily and very quickly, but because vice versa, I mean,
Leslie Neilson was a very serious, very competent dramatic actor,
and he made a great comedian as well. So I
don't know. I don't like generalizations, but we have had
(12:16):
some mean Jim Carrey and Rob Williams, Steve Martin as
well for that matter, and even Adam Sadler's had a
couple of great dramatic roles. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah,
I don't like to make that generalization, but you definitely
argue that.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
And then you've got sort of Laura Dern, who we
know to be a very serious character actor. You know,
she's continuously delivering which we sort of touched upon before,
but I also felt like for her, I don't know,
it's she had so much to say in this role
without saying as much. You know, kind of used to
her being very talkiest, Yeah, very fast spoken, you know,
(12:49):
like you know, with some whipping dialogue. You know, we're
in this she's kind of removed that in a way,
which I feel like is removing a net from who
she is. She's removed her comfortability.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah. I think it's comes down to obviously she's a
great actor, and it's solid writing as well. Obviously she
understood the character very very well as well. And yeah,
she does some great stuff in this without like you're saying,
without doing very much at all, but very much has
a strong character as well, which is nice. There's a
nice moment where Alex's mum meets her after she's coming
(13:19):
home from a jog, and you know, Alex's mum goes
in for a hug straight away. But Laura Durn's characters
you know, still kind of hot and sweaty from a run,
I guess, and there's like I delays the hug and
they have a conversation there. But it's just a really
nice character moment for Laura Dern. I think, you know,
it's a nothing scene, but you can see that she's
definitely aware of her character and the space the character's
in headspace as well as the physical space. Like it's
(13:41):
just a really nice some nice choices from Laura Dern,
and that extends throughout the whole film, you know, even
the stuff when they're at Oyster Bay is really nice, a.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Holiday place that they go to with all of their
friend group. The yeah in now say four seasons friend group.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
What did you think, let's get back to the friend
group for a second. What did you think about Sewana
Hayes and Scott Icen Nogel. I guess his name is.
I don't even how to pronounce that Ice and nogl Anyway,
Stephen and Jeffrey, they're kind of almost token gay couple
that don't have any personality or character arc whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Talk about tripping it back, Like I was, like, you know,
Sean Hayes in this film is so stripped back. But
I think that was also a point and a choice
because they were sort of living a heteronormative life slotted
in there and then yeah, true, having them have you know,
maybe some of the usual LGBTI relationship troubles I guess,
or yeah, hopes. You know, they decided to just play
(14:36):
them as the couple whose relationship probably is working compared.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's the it's the control, yeah yeah,
case yeah, yeah. And I thought that scene with Ordre
Day and Sean Hayes was really beautiful where they're just
singing Amazing Grace as they're serving breakfast at Oyster Bay.
Like again, it just you don't need it there, but
it was just a wonderful little moment.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
It made it seem like that's you were on the
holiday with them, and that was a choice, you know,
that was very well delivered.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I think my brain really well done.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Yeah, we kept making those decisions. I really want to
move into something very quickly before we sort of talk
about our scores and the movie. Yes, the soundtrack score,
which was done by an.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Australian by the way, Oh wow nice.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
But do you think that the comedy and the drama.
I guess the emotion was balanced correctly because I did
find that I struggled, and this will be reflected in
my score at the end. There's some amazing monologues. There's
some amazing things that this film does in terms of
making the audience think. But I did have a little
bit of difficulty balancing the comedy with the drama. How
(15:37):
did you feel in.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Which pacific moments? Though? Is that the stand up that
you found a bit awkward or is it?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Well, brother Cooper's going to be happy that I say this,
But the uncomfortability about a stand up comic getting up
there and being vulnerable like that felt equally balanced by
the awkwardness of the relationships between the two main characters
struggles that they had. But I don't know whether I
enjoyed always like that.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah right once we left the club that it was
going to be a bit more serious, an unbalanced.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Or just don't know whether I felt comfortable the whole.
And that's maybe why I'm saying. You know, brother, listening
to this, he'd be like, well, bang on the money, bend.
Are you going to recommend this film though to other
people and be like it's an enjoyable film? Like, I
think it's thought provoking and good. After movie date conversation
to have if you've been in a long term relationship,
(16:28):
you know, to debate some of the conversations. Yeah, but
I just don't know whether that's what people want to
go into this film and feel.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yeah, And I guess for me, I'm a bit biased
in some ways because I've done stand up. I know
stand ups I used to as a kid. I was
a massive stand up nerd, and the stand up is
really done very well in film actors doing stand up
is complicated and it's usually quite awful. Hacks is one
that I refer too often as where they just nailed
it and you actually believe that that's a real stand
(16:57):
up in that show, and it's fantastic Will And it's
done of live comedy. Now that he's got his podcast
and he is obviously a comedian, I think he does
a really good job representing a stet up. So I
think every time I went to the club, I was
locked in, and so everything else I just enjoyed as
soon as I go, as long as I was going
to get back to the comedy seller. So there's a
few things going on for me where yeah, maybe I
wasn't as offset by the balance as you were.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
I just don't know if those plates set as well
together as Yeah, I think they. I think they thought
they were being much smarter than maybe it is, you know,
And whether or not those plates aligned for everyone in
the audience, that's up to everyone's interview.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, Yeah, it was weird. We never really find out
what Alex does for a living and how many hours
he works or doesn't work, Like he has a full
time job in finance. That's never reflected in the film,
which I found unusual and weird. I mean assume that's
why he moved into an apartment in New York rather
than New Jersey was because he lives he works in
New York already, but.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
He must have had a long career doing something that
was making him some.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Money exactly because he was paying a mortgage in a
house that he doesn't even live in.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
So and they really it's played that to make sure
we understood that. When we went and saw that girl
that he banged, Yeah, and her apartment reminded me of
you know New York apartments, which everything at one place
exactly walks.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Through the front door and you're already in the bed. Yeah,
it was a very big apartment. I made the same
observation multiple times.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Just moving into some of the other parts of this
which we normally touch upon. The music was actually done
by an Australian James Newbury. Yeah, has just done the
score for an Australian horror we Bury the Dead, but yeah,
he's based here. I thought that it was a very
interesting soundtrack, you know. And I thought it was very
well done and it suited this kind of indie style film.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, definitely, I absolutely agree. It's not that I would
say it's subtle, but it knows its place in this environment.
It definitely encourages the emotion because there are a lot
of emotionally charged scenes throughout this And yeah, I thought
it was a great soundtrack. I'm actually going to have
to have a listen to it on its own, I think.
I hope it's on Spotify. And it looks like James
usually does a lot of big, bastic kind of genre stuff,
(19:01):
so for him to do, you know, a smaller intimate
film like this excellent work. Really well done.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Well.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
He's creating worlds. I think with his music it's very
suited to the story and I think that that's what
this movie is, you know. Yeah, I feel like this
film reminds me of Robert Oltman's work. It's really creating
a space that you're interrogating. You know, you might not
be familiar with the open mic nights, but you get
to be in that world. I felt like the score
did something similar to that.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Yeah, I mean it's such a dark, moody film in
part because the other parts of this bright, suburban kind
of world. But yeah, especially those New York scenes, I
think the score does an exceptional job.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, I'm going to ask you about your rating because,
like I think I've sort of touched into a lot
of how I've felt about this film, and I don't Yeah,
I don't yet know how you feel about it.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
But I really enjoyed this film. I had a lot
of fun, and like I said, you know, coincides a
lot of my own personal interests, and I like a
little intimate character study. I like I said, last episode
that will on Ed I'm a bit hot and cold
on but I'm definitely hot on him in this film.
Like I think, like you are saying, he really brings it.
He knows what he's doing. Him and Bradley Cooper, I
assume we'll have known each other for quite a long time.
(20:06):
Bradley Cooper's first film was with Will Arnett's ex wife,
Fami Pohla. They would have hung out, it sat in
ourlive together at different times. I assume they have a
reasonable relationship. Bradley Cooper's friends with a lot of comedic
actors and comedians, and I think those two must have
worked really hard together to get that right, that performance
from Will. I definitely feel that. And Altho, this is
(20:26):
probably Will Arnette's greatest performance on well on the silver
screen at the very least. And yea, Laura Dern, it's.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Easily his best performance. Yeah, you know, I don't think
he's going to top this performance. I mean it was incredible.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah. And then Laura Dern, I mean, she's always great
and everyone I haven't seen it give a bad performance
in anything, and so she's fantastic. I think I was
a little bit more forgiving than you were, perhaps for me.
I definitely want to see it again. I definitely recommend
it to people, you know that are any of any
interest in stand up And if anyone out there is
curious about how stand up actually works, it gives you
(20:59):
a little of an insight the idea that you've got
to get your reps up. You've got to keep writing material,
you got to keep working out the material. This film
doesn't actually show him working out material as such, and
a couple of times he just improvises whole sets apparently,
and does well on them or not so well, depending
on which set I'm referring. But you know, it does
give you an idea of how stand up does work.
One of the comedians says, you know, how many times
(21:21):
have you been up? But he goes, this is my
second time, and he goes, oh, are we go up five?
And he goes what five times a week? And they're like, oh,
sometimes five times a night, which in New York you
can do. You cannot do that in Melbourne or Sydney.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I remember going to a comedy show with like a
festival with Yeah when Who's a comic And he was
supposed to do their headline and he did the headline
and then they said to him afterwards, you know, we've
got a few spots later in the evening, do you
want to do those? And he went on and did
one at like twelve thirty at night, like yeah, it
was crazy, and he was like, oh, well the later time,
(21:53):
I'm just going to try some new material I've never
done before, and it was funnier. Yeah, the main set
he did earlier.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
So yeah, you know, I have an audience looser later Drunker.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Do I'm want to say his name because then I
might get in trouble.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Joel Creep I assumed it was Joel shout out, but yeah,
so I really like that element of it as well.
And you know, like I said, I just like it
being done well as well and not ham fisted. You
can check out I think it's Comedian with Robert de
Niro if you want to see it done.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Really badly, I won't know how many stars.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Three and a half. I'm going to give this three
and a half for all those reasons I've already said.
I love the New yorkiness of it. I love the
I loved seeing the path. I loved seeing the Amtrak
train out to Oyster Bay. I love Sean Hayes popping
up in it. I love the dynamic between obviously Laura
Dernan Will Annette. Yeah, three and a half stars. I'm
excited to see it again. I'll recommend it to everyone.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
At the moment, I'm going to give it three stars.
And I was originally going to give it two and
a half stars. Cool, I've brought you up. I felt
like it was making me a little bit too uncomfortable.
Maybe I didn't want to go to that. I don't
know if I want to go to the space that
I went to with this film. And afterwards, I did
have conversations with my partner about some things, and you know,
(23:08):
this is a very awkward space to be and so
I just don't want to give it too many stars
and drag people into a movie saying it's much better
than it is when an actual fact. For a lot
of people, I think they'll find it quite uncomfortable at times.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
There are definitely some of the yeah, the discussions and
the divorce moments, and you know, as will Unet and
Laura to unpack their relationship, very confronting, definitely, but I
thought the balance was good.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
For people who want to go and see it. Definitely
check that out. But next week, we have been coming
and erring, texting back and forward, and we are going
to wear bros.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
We are going to wuthering hides. I believe, how old
do you know this story?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
I feel like I don't know this story.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
I don't know it at all. I actually have no
idea what Wuthering Heights is about. I thought it was
just a song went too long, but apparently apparently it's
a whole story.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
We've got that long song that went on for too long,
but also take it on.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
For too long. We've got Bamian Rhapsody of film. We've
got Wuthering Heights the film. We're gonna have Stairway to
Heaven next the I mean, we were rumming and ring
about it, and look, it may not be the kind
of film that you would think we would definitely necessarily
get into, but I mean there's two great Australian actors
right at the top with Margot Robbie and Jacob Lordie,
(24:24):
the Oscar nominated Jacob Alordi and the Oscar winning.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
No, she's nominated before, but she's never won.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Right, So two Oscar nominated Australian actors there. And like
it's a big costume piece. It hasn't been nominated for
any Oscars, which I'm curious about. But I still think
it's going to be just a bit of fun. I'm
trying to get those pride and prejudice feels for it
from you know, twenty years ago. Also twenty five years,
trying to see if it's going to have that kind
of energy that brings me in like like that did
(24:50):
the mini series.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
So trailer is not getting me going, I am not.
I don't know. It hasn't wet my whistle.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Is that the right way to Yeah, that's fine, that's
exactly right.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I just don't know. Look, I'm going to go into
it with an open mind. You know, I do want
to support our assis taking on these two big roles.
This movie has been made before. This is a very
iconic story for a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
So it's also directed by a promising young woman and
Saltburns and Barbie's no she pops up on Bobby Emerald
Fennel and she is a great director, so hopefully she
brings something new to it as well.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Well we may be shocked. But for this week, we
have a three stars from me and a three and
a half stars from you. If you're absolutely and you
want to go to the movies and you want to
check out a character piece, take along your partner, especially
if they're a long term partner. There will be plenty
of juice in it for you to discuss after the
film
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