Jay Kelly (dir. Noah Baumbach)
By: Adam Freed
The line of those willing to heap sympathy on internationally recognized movie stars will always be a short one. There is a canyon separating the lives of celebrities and the entourage of managers, stylists and publicists who juggle the unthinkable demands placed on the most recognizable names in entertainment. Jay Kelly, the latest film from powerhouse writer and director Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, Barbie) is a thoughtful exploration of the relationship fostered between the movie’s titular main character and his loyal long time manager. As a master of cultivating humanist sentimentality, Baumbach is dealt a pair of aces by casting directors Nina Gold and Douglas Aibel. George Clooney (Michael Clayton, Good Night, and Good Luck) is flawlessly cast as a mildly narcissistic aging star quickly realizing that the collateral damage of his fame and fortune may not have been worth the family and friendships that he traded in return. The secret sauce behind Clooney’s performance is the actor’s gravitational persona, despite the short sighted egotism his character portrays. Counterbalancing the undeniable star power behind Clooney’s Kelly, is the unique everyman quality of Adam Sandler, who plays Kelly’s manager Ron. With decades of friendship between them, Ron and Jay navigate what proves to be a difficult period in the life of the aging star.
There has always been something alluring about movies that provide even fictional insight into the film industry, something that Clooney is no stranger to after his wonderfully cynical Coen brothers delight Hail, Caesar! (2016). Despite a few scenes that likely read better on the page than they play out in Jay Kelly, the interactions between Clooney and Sandler (Punch Drunk Love, Uncut Gems) are priceless. Sandler possesses the innate ability to play sympathetic despite his existence as a globally recognized leading man. Echoing Sandler’s performance is an underused Laura Dern who plays Kelly’s longtime publicist Liz. While Dern’s character is mildly underwritten, her character acts as a meaningful reminder for Sandler’s Ron that the “friendship” he seeks in Jay Kelly is only a product of their working relationship. This is realistic advice that Ron struggles with, as he is a character who craves approval.
At its best, Jay Kelly dazzles as a comedic behind the scenes look at the life of an international superstar struggling with the banalities of familiar connection. Noah Baumbach’s slightly overstuffed Hollywood insider piece features commanding performances from a perfectly cast George Clooney and Adam Sandler. Despite all of this, there is, at times, a forced quality behind some of the film’s set pieces, that minimize the credibility of what otherwise could have become an emotional powerhouse of a dramedy. As it stands, Jay Kelly is likely to be remembered somewhere amidst the second tier of Baumbach’s directorial work, a distant cry from the emotional resonance of Marriage Story (2019) or the devil-may-care pursuance of dreams present in independent darling Frances Ha (2012). The good news for Jay Kelly, and for Baumbach, is that even while not firing on all cylinders, the George Clooney and Adam Sandler vehicle is still abundantly enjoyable.
Target Score 7/10 - There is plenty to love about Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly. George Clooney and Adam Sandler headline a film that offers plenty of star power and just enough sentimental humor to allow audiences to overlook a few of the film’s more obvious shortcomings.
Jay Kelly is included in Movie Archer's coverage of the 61st Chicago International Film Festival