Director Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born, Maestro) helms this dramedy he co-wrote with leading man Will Arnett and Mark Chappell about Alex (Arnett), who turns to stand-up comedy as a way to cope with his dissolving marriage to Tess (Laura Dern). The story is loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop. (124 min.)
Is This Thing On?
What’s it rated? R
What’s it worth, Anna? Full price
What’s it worth, Glen? Full price
Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria
(last day is Feb. 15), Downtown Centre in SLO
Glen: My motto has always been that love is not a feeling, it’s a decision. I’ve heard longtime couples say over the course of their relationship, they’ve fallen in and out of love with each other multiple times. In Alex and Tess’ case, their relationship has gone flat. It’s not that they don’t love each other or love their two boys, Felix (Blake Kane) and Jude (Calvin Knegten); they’re just not “in love” with each other, and they harbor some resentments. At one point, Tess explains that they stopped “having each other’s backs.” As Alex later notes, he wasn’t unhappy with their marriage, he was unhappy in their marriage. And there’s the rub. If you’re expecting your partner to make you happy, you’re bound for disappointment. You need to bring your happiness to the marriage. Everyone needs to be responsible for their own happiness, and what this story is about is Alex and Tess learning to find their joy.
Anna: Alex finds stand-up as a way to navigate the loss and changes he’s going through. He talks about Tess onstage, about his boys, about what life is when you are suddenly all alone. The film opens with Tess saying she thinks they should “call it” and Alex passively agreeing. The two are determined to be present parents, but jealousies and competition can’t help but creep up. It turns out Tess was an Olympic volleyball player, and her retirement hit harder than she expected. Alex didn’t know how to support her, and instead of seeking answers, he drifted further away. The film sort of reminded me of Funny People in that it highlighted that very funny people can live very unfunny, unhappy lives. Ultimately sweet and sentimental without being cloying, this is a story of imperfection and about finding the beauty within that.
Glen: Alex needed a drink and wandered up to a bar with a $15 cash-only cover for comedy night, and he didn’t have the cash, so he signed up to perform. Alex is not a great comic, but he’s genuine and vulnerable, and that seems to appeal to the audience. As he returns for more time behind the mic, some of the other regulars who sign up to do comedy at the famed Comedy Cellar—real-life comics such as Chloe Radcliffe, Jordan Jensen, and Reggie Conquest—take Alex under their wings, and soon he’s carrying around a notebook to write down potential jokes. Meanwhile, Tess turns to coaching. Both these characters are finding their mojo again, and they’re also falling back in love. Bradley Cooper, who plays a perpetually stoned struggling actor named Balls, is Alex’s bestie, and he’s the film’s comic foil. It’s all pretty charming as we root for these two to save their relationship.
Anna: Cooper also directed the film and does a fine job of leaving some of the rawness in it. Arnett’s Alex is raw too, and hurting, and profoundly lost at sea. The bitterness can’t help but creep in, and when things in life are at their most painful, it’s fully evident in his comedy set. This film isn’t about big revelations, it’s about puzzling out life and what it means to be happy or unhappy, fulfilled or empty, and finding a spark of joy in our darkest days.
New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in January 15 – January 22, 2026.