Hollywood loves making films about itself, and this time it’s writer/director Noah Baumbach’s turn. The Netflix original film has an excellent cast, with George Clooney as a world-famous movie star in his 60s, Jay Kelly, and Adam Sandler as his dedicated manager, Ron Sukenick. Now, seeing this casting makes me think the 64-year-old Clooney essentially plays himself, though unlike his character, Clooney achieved fame in his 30s, so he figured out how to live life before he figured out how to navigate fame.

The screenplay by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer (who also has a minor part in the movie) offers a raw perspective on what it’s like to be super famous. “All my memories are movies,” he’s quoted as saying, indicating that he’s hardly experienced real life before fame beckons. Thus, Kelly comes off as self-absorbed and emotionally stilted, aimlessly navigating through midlife, struggling to genuinely connect with those around him. Even his college-aged daughter, Daisy (Grace Edwards), chuckles at the fact that he has a team at his disposal, including a butler who serves him his afternoon drink. Her eldest daughter, Jessica (Riley Keough), a Pre-K teacher, has an even more fraught relationship with the absentee father. There’s no mention of their mother, but it’s implied that Jay never married.

Jay becomes reflective following the death of an influential director, Peter Schneider (Jim Broadbent), who gave him his big break. At the funeral, he runs into his old roommate, Tim (scene-stealing Billy Crudup). The flashback scene of the two auditioning for Schneider’s film is quite effective, featuring fresh-faced Brits Louis Partridge and Charlie Rowe as young Tim and Jay, respectively. The initially cordial reunion ends up getting heated, and their altercation leads to Jay bailing out of his next project. Given the lucrative nature of the film, his team will have none of that.

The film transforms into a sort of road trip when Jay opts to join Daisy on her European adventure with her friends. Naturally, he neglects to inform his team, leading them to rush to join him. The ever-ingenious Ron orchestrates an Italian film festival to fête Jay and present him with the prestigious honorary award he initially declined. The public train scene, full of Italian passengers, is amusing as Jay revels in being the center of attention. He even becomes a local hero when he saves an elderly woman’s purse from a thief (talented German actor Lars Eidinger is criminally wasted in a nothing role).

While the script is clever and funny at times, overall it doesn’t bristle with energy like Baumbach’s previous efforts, Barbie, or even Marriage Story. The main drawback could be that Jay isn’t a particularly captivating character. I’ve never been a huge Clooney fan, and his movie-star charm (as himself and the character he portrays) doesn’t do anything for me. Similar to Jay, Clooney exudes a touch of self-importance that I find off-putting. I kept pondering how much more engaging the film might have been if it had focused more on Ron and Liz (Laura Dern), Jay’s publicist. We discover that the two share a romantic past, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

Sandler is particularly great here; Ron is loyal to a fault and clearly cares for Jay. Yes, he’s the ‘friend who takes 15% of Jay’s earnings,’ but he’s certainly made significant sacrifices for his job. Jay is always number one in his life, while his entire family takes a back seat. He even leaves a crucial tennis game for his daughter because of Jay and his wife, Lois (Greta Gerwig) is practically a single parent.

The script isn’t at all subtle in delivering a moral lesson about a man grappling with all the repercussions of his life choices. Jay isn’t tormented by ghosts from the past but rather by the aftermath of his actions that have cost him what truly counts: his family and friends. On the flip side, actor Ben Alcock (Patrick Wilson), who’s also being honored at the same festival, seems to be able to balance work and family. Ron, who is also Ben’s manager, has a quick interaction with him that reveals he doesn’t treat all his clients equally.

This Netflix original film is definitely a technical wonder; its crew is made up of top talent who have either been nominated for or won Oscars. Jacqueline Durran‘s costume design, Linus Sandgren‘s cinematography, and Nicholas Britell‘s music are all fantastic. The movie has the elegant look and feel of a classic Hollywood film. Its theme of ‘life reflected through cinema’ brings to mind Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso, but not nearly as memorable.

Have you seen JAY KELLY? I’d love to hear what you think!
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