Is This Thing On? (2025), Will Arnett, Searchlight Pictures
In new Bradley Cooper-directed comedy/drama, Is This Thing On?, Will Arnett is Alex, a man of middle age who’s facing divorce and seeking purpose in the NYC comedy scene.
Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper, Andra Day and Sean Hayes are among the key cast.
Hello, very good looking film.
I love that this trailer combines a handful of my favourite things, including:
Will Arnett doing what looks like a stellar job of playing a stand-up comic.
Outside of my arguably intense appreciation of Arnett, I’m also excited for a new Bradley Cooper film. More so because the main character is a professional comedian. After all, rarely does a day go by without a joke by one of my favourite comics replaying in my mind and helping to make my day.
Are you in?
Reggie Conquest, Ciarán Hinds, Swanmy Sampaio, Christine Ebersole, Amy Sedaris and Derek Gaines also star.
New action/crime/drama Nightmare Alley is director Guillermo del Toro’s latest audio-visual feast.
Starring Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette and Willem Dafoe, the story follows an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people. Little did he know that the psychiatrist he’s just hooked up with is far more dangerous than he is.
When big hitters like Cooper and Blanchett are involved, one pays attention. And as I often do, I watched the above trailer before reading the synopsis.
Considering how much is going on in just over a minute and a half of this trailer, plus Dafoe’s character’s non-stop dialogue, which I still haven’t really listened to yet, it’s no wonder I had some trouble keeping up. That’s probably part of the reason I wasn’t sure about just how appealing this movie is to me initially. That of course changed as soon as I learned about the ‘manipulation face/off.’
Now I have to watch to see just how intense it’s all going to get. And for the great colours and beautiful lighting, of course.
Tim Blake Nelson, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, Clifton Collins Jr., Troy James, David Hewlett, Holt McCallany, Paul Anderson and David Strathairn also star.
A Star Is BornstarsBradley Cooper as Jackson Maine, an ageing, alcoholic musician in a downward spiral, while Lady Gaga plays the talented young singer he helps find fame.
I’ll start by saying that I definitely misread the film’s duration of ‘one hundred and thirty six minutes’ as ‘one hour thirty-six minutes.’ Luckily though, in the end the longer than average two hours 16 minutes total length barely proved punishing.
As for why this movie appealed, I had to watch it to see how well Cooper fared in the dual leading actor/director role. The good news is, A Star Is Born is a well-executed story that’s heartbreaking, funny, layered, well-captured, and it features some rather memorable music. In fact, my favourite song on the soundtrack is called Shallow, and I’ve listened to it many times since.
I absolutely bought Cooper’s tortured character’s emotional journey. I also believed him as a rock star because of the good music in the film and how his character presented physically – including the way he moved – both on and off the stage. I especially enjoyed the first time Shallow is performed on stage; a pretty glorious experience that’s very beautifully shot.
Besides Cooper’s well-executed dual roles, other highlights include the deep bass in Cooper and co-star Sam Elliott’s voices. There’s also a memorable, perfectly timed funny momentthat involves one of the two/three times Frank Sinatra is mentioned.
As for the not-quite-great things about A Star Is Born, my suspension of disbelief was briefly interrupted by the uncomfortable close-ups near the beginning of the movie. Close-ups that luckily either eased off as the film went on, or they somehow bothered me less. There were also one or two moments of dialogue that felt awkward during Cooper and Gaga’s early interactions. Thankfully, though, that awkwardness also eased off as the film continued.
Watch A Star Is Born because it’s good, handles well themes linked to different kinds of relationships, familial, business, healthy, unhealthy, poisonous, etc. Lastly, if you’re not already in love, there’s a reasonable chance that A Star Is Born will make you want to be – and likely with a musician. So, good luck with that!
In new crime/drama/mystery The Mule, Clint Eastwood is a 90-year-old horticulturist and WWII veteran who gets caught transporting $3 million worth of cocaine for a Mexican drug cartel.
Also directed by Clint Eastwood, additional key cast includes Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña and Laurence Fishburne.
Firstly, well done trailer maker!
Second, following the success of their last pairing for American Sniper (2014), it’s really great to see Eastwood and Cooper working together again.
Seeing how vulnerable Eastwood’s character appears to be, it’s clear that this movie will likely be emotionally taxing – though I’m hoping also quite worth it.
Taissa Farmiga, Clifton Collins Jr., Manny Montana, Dianne Wiest, Alison Eastwood and Dianne Wiest also star.
The Movie My Life 