Relationships don’t end with a bang, but with a whimper.
That is the argument being made in Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother,” two new comedic dramas coming to The Triplex this week.
Cooper begins at the end of Alex (co-writer Will Arnett) and Tess’ (Laura Dern) 20-year marriage in “Is This Thing On?,” introducing us to the couple as they quietly decide to call it quits during their morning bathroom routine. It is not quite the end it seems, though: Tess rediscovers her calling in sports and coaching, Alex finds a spark in New York’s stand-up comedy scene, and the two are forced to confront their future as co-parents while engaging with their passions.
Where Cooper is focused on the way forward for his characters, Jarmusch looks back, presenting a triptych of fractured families living with the weight of the past. Tom Waits plays a father hiding away from his adult children (Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik). Charlotte Rampling is a brutally honest mother who sees her daughters (Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps) just once a year for tea. In the film’s final chapter, two grown siblings (Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat) reunite in the empty spaces left behind by their recently deceased parents.
“Father Mother Sister Brother” watches as its characters learn to live with the silence that has settled into their lives, holding onto their bonds even as the people they love become harder to recognize. “Is This Thing On?,” instead, is about choosing to break that silence—first in front of strangers and finally with the people who truly matter.
Together, these films suggest that relationships don’t really end at all—they simply change form. How we handle that evolution—with distance, honesty, or something in between—is up to us.
Now Playing
“Song Sung Blue”
Based on the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina, two down-on-their-luck musicians who find improbable success—and love—when they form a Neil Diamond tribute band, “Song Sung Blue” is the feel-good movie of the holiday season! Starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as the Sardinas, “Song Sung Blue” is a rocking tribute to the idea that it is never too late to follow your dreams.
“Marty Supreme”
In 1950s New York City, Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) is a young man with a dream no one respects: to become America’s first table tennis superstar. Going to hell and back in pursuit of greatness, Marty risks everything he has to prove the world wrong in this tense, tender, and funny exploration of the American dream from director Josh Safdie.
Coming Soon
“Hamnet”
From Academy Award-winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet” tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, “Hamlet.” Featuring emotional tour-de-force performances from stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” is an award season juggernaut that will break your heart and heal it before the lights come up.
Starts January 16.
“The Testament of Ann Lee”
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (“The World to Come,” “The Brutalist”) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as Lee, the Shakers’ irrepressible leader who preached gender and social equality while trying to build a utopia—and suffering tremendous personal losses along the way.
Starts January 23.
“The Secret Agent”
Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting. Winner of Best Director and Best Actor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, “The Secret Agent” is a thematically rich and visually arresting political thriller that blends grindhouse stylization with biting social commentary to weave a vividly dangerous yet darkly human tale.
Starts January 23.
