Jay Kelly review: George Clooney charms in showbiz comedy about how stars arent just like us
In “Jay Kelly,” George Clooney delivers a standout comedic performance that showcases his versatile talent, reminiscent of his beloved roles in Coen Brothers classics like “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Directed and co-written by Noah Baumbach, this film offers a nuanced exploration of celebrity and personal identity. Clooney plays Jay Kelly, a once-mighty movie star grappling with the realities of his life as he embarks on an impromptu trip across Europe. The film artfully balances humor and pathos, as Jay confronts his estranged relationships with his daughters and the superficiality of his Hollywood lifestyle. Alongside a stellar supporting cast, including Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and Riley Keough, Clooney navigates a comedic landscape that cleverly critiques the entertainment industry while illuminating the human experience.
The narrative begins with Jay on set, where his charm and charisma shine as he interacts with crew members, only to reveal a more vulnerable side when he returns home to a fractured family life. Clooney excels as the “doofy dad,” expertly blending humor with moments of self-reflection. His character’s journey is punctuated by comedic escapades and a series of mishaps that highlight the absurdities of fame. As Jay’s entourage—composed of his manager Ron (Sandler) and publicist Liz (Dern)—attempts to keep him grounded amid the chaos, the film explores themes of loyalty, the blurred lines between personal and professional lives, and the often-unseen struggles of those in the spotlight.
“Jay Kelly” is more than just a comedic romp; it serves as a love letter to the film industry, acknowledging its complexities while celebrating the bonds formed within it. Baumbach’s direction ensures that the film resonates on multiple levels, offering both laughter and introspection. The chemistry among the cast, particularly between Sandler and Dern, adds depth to the narrative, showcasing the emotional undercurrents that run through their relationships with Jay. Ultimately, “Jay Kelly” emerges as a clever and heartwarming exploration of fame, family, and the quest for authenticity in an image-driven world. Now streaming on Netflix, this film promises to entertain while provoking thought about the true cost of celebrity.
George Clooney delivers one of the best comedic performances of his career in
Jay Kelly.
As a long-time devotee of his Coen Bros’ comedy
O Brother, Where Art Thou?,
I don’t say that lightly. However, Noah Baumbach has created a role that feels tailored to Clooney’s particular brand of star power. And Clooney struts, takes pratfalls, and soars with grace, goofiness, and pathos.
Clooney has built a career on his ability to pivot from swaggering dreamboat (
Out of Sight
,
Ocean’s Eleven
through
Thirteen
) to rugged action star (
From Dusk Till Dawn
,
The Peacemaker, Three Kings
) to arrogant buffoon (
O Brother, Burn After Reading, Hail, Caesar!
). In
Jay Kelly,
he does all three. But more than that, he does all three to interrogate what it means to be a movie star. When you’re a public figure known for playing larger-than-life action heroes, what’s reality to you? Who are you to your family and friends when your career is dependent on presentation, and you’re more focused on that than parenting or loyalty?
Directed and co-written by Baumbach, who previously channeled his own life into the explosive divorce drama
Marriage Story
, Jay Kelly
is more cutting than its bouncy name and beguiling leading man might suggest. With a supporting cast that includes Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Riley Keough, and
Jay Kelly
co-writer Emily Mortimer, this showbiz comedy brilliantly displays the highs and lows of working in movies, without losing sight of exactly how high those highs are.
Far from a woe-is-me movie,
Jay Kelly
is a shrewdly winsome affair that shows many of the ways stars aren’t just like us — and several crucial ways they are.
Jay Kelly
is all about that work-life balance, puppy.
For decades, Jay Kelly (Clooney) has been a star, collecting fans, building his filmography, growing his entourage, and even having a couple of daughters and ex-wives along the way. You might think that with all the success and wealth he’s attained, he’d welcome some time away from the sets and shooting schedules. But what would he do with that?
Let alone, Jay must face that he’s estranged from his eldest, Jessica (Keough), while his college-bound youngest, Daisy (Grace Edwards), is eager to bounce from his house to be on her own. He has no wife. His friends — including his manager, Ron (Sandler), and his publicist, Liz (Dern) — are all on his payroll. So when a run-in with an old friend (Crudup) sends him into an identity crisis, Jay joyously bullies his whole entourage into an impromptu trip across Europe, starting in Paris and ending up in an Italian film festival, where he’ll get a lifetime achievement honor.
Along the way, he’ll encounter awestruck fans, ride in transit that has no first class, and be forced to look back on his life, whether he likes it or not.
George Clooney is absolutely excellent as Jay Kelly.
The film begins onset, with Jay playing out a death scene that naturally involves a mournful monologue, a fatal gunshot wound, and
an adorable dog actor.
Immediately, Mortimer and Baumbach gives us a taste of Jay’s talent, onscreen and off. As soon as the camera cuts, he’s quick to glad-hand and cheer individual members of the crew by name, and they all light up as he looks at them. He’s that kind of star.
Back home; however, he’s a doofy dad to Daisy, who eye rolls as he whines he’s lonely. “You’re never alone,” she chides as his security guard hands him a fresh, icy beverage.
Even in accepting the glass, Clooney has a keen sense of comedic timing. He’s long been brilliant at playing the dope. Here, he plays a man who’s never been deep, but who has been able to fake it onscreen. So, when he’s actually having this crisis of self-reflection, he throws himself into action — including being involved in a chaotic and comedic chase scene. However, nothing in this movie will unfold like the movies. Jay’s sweeping gestures, carried off with Clooney’s booming charisma, fall flat to those closest to him because they are all show, no substance. And in this, he’s forced to face how he pursued his work — which is very image-oriented — over his family and friends, failing to foster deep bonds. And he’s not alone in this.
Adam Sandler and Laura Dern are shockingly well-matched in
Jay Kelly.
Having to wrangle Jay like he’s a child (or a swarm of cats), Ron and Liz take on near-parental roles as they prep everything to guide and protect him. Where Ron’s the gentle father, always cajoling and calling Jay by the loving nickname “puppy,” Liz is the tough-love mom, forced to be frank because someone has got to be when the tabloids are circling. Far from archetypes, however, these characters exhibit complexity in scenes beyond their interactions with Jay.
As the trip through Europe goes increasingly off the rails, Jay’s entourage sheds one member after another as they make choices that aren’t him — a bigger client, a sick dog, a child back home, and so on. There’s a sense of a party coming to a close, and a question about who will be the last one standing.
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Dern vibrates with frustration at every bump in the road, while Sandler is her foil, ever jovial, maybe even delusionally optimistic. They’re a comedic duo who bounce off each other with an ardent emotional understanding. For all Academy Award winner Dern’s drama chops, Emmy nominee Sandler’s able to keep pace in a role that could get him some Best Supporting nominations. Imagine
Uncut Gems
with the intensity turned down and the facade of jolly calm cranked way up. Ron is a man desperate to make everything OK, even to the point where he himself is deeply not. And in that, Baumbach grows comedy and agony. Dern is the cherry on top, giving a cool sense of regret that lingers even after her character has gone.
Jay Kelly
is a showbiz comedy with heart.
Incredibly,
Jay Kelly
becomes an odd love letter to the industry, one that recognizes its warts and still declares devotion. Through this story, Baumbach explores how everyone involved, from movie stars to make-up artists and security guards, struggles to draw the line between their professional and personal lives. Sure, you love your family, but what if you love your job and the people who are a part of it? The line gets blurrier and blurrier. And what kind of life does that build?
The answer
Jay Kelly
gives is unexpected and heartwarming rather than pat and sentimental. Clooney, Sandler, and Baumbach come to a conclusion that is both deeply Hollywood and yet sincere. In the end,
Jay Kelly
is a clever crowd-pleaser, guaranteed to amuse and make you think.
Jay Kelly
was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival and is
now streaming on Netflix
.
