Thoughts going in: No matter what, the stand-up comedy of this should be good. That being said, the trailers have felt strangely lifeless and dull.

Quick Synopsis: Alex Novak is going through a divorce and is deeply traumatised. Instead of therapy, he tries stand-up comedy.

This should have been an early contender for best film of the year. I like films about stand-up, and I like deeply personal, intense dramas. As soon as I told someone I was about to watch this, they said it seems right up my street. Plus, I like Will Arnett; he has a talent for making reprehensible people likeable.

Which is why it’s so disappointing that I didn’t enjoy it. I think part of it is that he never really seems that good as a comedian. The reaction the other comedians give him doesn’t match the reaction he gets on stage. You could show the stand-up sections independently to someone and ask if the comedian succeeded or bombed; they’d be unable to tell. It’s supposed to be cathartic, but you never really get that sense. There’s no joyful release; it’s just abject misery and pain.

The reaction he gets is weird; he’s immediately embraced by his fellow comedians. I have spoken to comedians who do these kinds of gigs, it can be brutal. Everyone is trying to break out and get noticed; they’re not going to take pity on a newcomer like that. Also, I’m sure it was unintentional, but having a group of comedians who are all women or people of colour fawn over a middle-aged white guy is kind of strange, especially when one of the female comedians sleeps with him despite them having less chemistry than somebody who decided to only do physics and biology as their GCSE science options. There’s a scene where his wife accidentally attends a comedy night where he’s performing (by which I mean, she didn’t know he’d be performing, not that she fell over and ended up in a comedy club). The comedian this is based on (John Bishop) actually had this happen to him; he told a joke about how he misses his ex so much that he keeps her head in the fridge. That joke doesn’t appear here; in fact, I can’t even remember what it was he actually said. They slept together that night, despite the fact that she was at the comedy club on a date. There’s a way this could work; if his on-stage persona was confident and charming, if he was charismatic and owned the room, allowing her to see him in a new light. But he’s the same person as he is for the rest of the film, so why would she be into that? That might be my biggest issue; comedy doesn’t change his life. He doesn’t feel like a different person because of it; we see him writing jokes, etc., but his personality and demeanor doesn’t change through his experience. He doesn’t seem to gain confidence or happiness.

My other issue is that I didn’t want the two characters to end up back together. Their characters don’t suit each other. It feels like they’re constantly looking for excuses to be annoyed at the other one. Again, there is a way to do a film where a relationship ends, he finds a passion, and they end up back together. The best example I can think of is High Fidelity. Actually, now I think about it, there are a lot of similarities between the two. They’re both about a couple that split acrimoniously, he sleeps with someone in his professional field, and they end up together after discussing their flaws and expressing regret for how they treated each other. The key difference is that in High Fidelity, Rob seems genuinely remorseful of his previous actions; you can tell he genuinely loves Laura, and we see him happy sometimes.

None of this is on the performers, by the way; Laura Dern continues to be amazing. Will Arnett can do this role; he has proven it in Arrested Development and Bojack Horseman (vocally at least), but he’s REALLY let down by a script that refuses to let him be likeable. Amy Sedaris is a highlight in the few moments she’s onscreen. Bradley Cooper is also in this film.

Bradley Cooper’s direction is strange. It’s mostly close-ups. Sometimes that choice works, making you feel the stress that each character is going through. But then there are times where it makes ITTO feel more like you’ve been cornered at a party by a guy who’s way too drunk and won’t stop talking even though you’re clearly uncomfortable.

ITTO isn’t a terrible film, but it’s not a particularly likeable one either. As I said, it’s based on a true story, and you have to wonder how many of his friends would be deeply offended if they think some of the characters are based on them. If you want a movie about a couple that dislikes each other, watch The Roses. If you want a movie about how tragedy can affect stand-up comedy, watch The Big Sick. If you want Will Arnett to be a complete mess, watch Bojack Horseman. Basically, there are hundreds of better options, and I really wish that wasn’t the case. I went into this expecting to fall in love, but instead I felt like how the main characters at the start: despondent, and like love is a waste of time.