A genteel, serious drama from Noah Baumbach, Jay Kelly is the tale of a megastar actor butting against a crisis of meaning as he ages. The genius of this film is the casting of George Clooney as Jay Kelly, the star as famous as Clooney is in real life. Clooney not only looks the part, his exploration of his character’s sudden realization that his daughters have flown the coop, leaving him with unfathomable guilt for his years of neglect, is superb. Adam Sandler plays a tubby manager-maestro who flails as his charge rejects his next film and heads to Tuscany for a tribute presentation, and Sandler’s portrayal is nuanced and pointed. Baumbach’s script is one nonstop flurry of sharp dialogue and his direction is sure-footed. Not a lot is signaled as at stake, yet for Jay Kelly, his entire existential foundation is at risk, and it is this tension, between the outside world of the star and the inner search for life’s purpose, that impels the movie toward an enigmatic climax. Jay Kelly will not set the film world on fire but it is a pleasure to watch and leaves the viewer with important questions to pursue. Recommended.
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