IS THIS THING ON? Special Screenings

Bradley Cooper’s beautifully affecting dramedy stars Will Arnett and Laura Dern in standout performances as a New York couple whose separation leads to major midlife self-reckoning and reinvention. When Arnett’s character attempts open-mic standup at a comedy club with confessional, self-deprecating material, a whole new world opens for him. Shot on location in and around the West Village comedy club scene, IS THIS THING ON? has grit, heart, warmth and a lived-in authenticity too rarely seen in contemporary films, with Cooper once again demonstrating his talent for eliciting great performances and emotions. The outstanding supporting cast includes Cooper, Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds and Peyton Manning, along with a host of real-life New York comedy stand-ups and scenesters. –Todd Hitchcock