Netflix recently released a contemporary drama stacked with famous actors, sweepingly large themes, and copious dialogue. This new drama is "Jay Kelly" starring George Clooney ("The Midnight Sky," 2020) as a beloved movie star who finds himself at a sobering crossroads. Jay Kelly is the name of George Clooney’s character in this, an established film actor who impulsively accepts an offer to appear at a fancy gathering in Italy to receive an award honoring his famous Hollywood career.
Accepting such an award, attending a mentor’s funeral, and bumping into an old friend pushes Jay to look back on his life reliving the opportunities he caught and the relationships he left behind. Flashbacks from the past and arguments with his adult children in the present force Jay to face his shortcomings as a family man and face the glories of his work on the big screen.
"Jay Kelly" is a journey of earnest self-reflection by a man in his twilight years who, at the same time, is making a physical journey from Hollywood to Italy with his manager, publicist, bodyguard, stylist, and make-up artist beside him. Can Jay achieve penance and get his younger daughter to spend quality time with him in Italy (his real reason to take this trip)? Or will he get distracted by the trappings of his wealthy glamorous life?
The more I kept watching this, the more I kept thinking, “What is it about getting older that makes men become so full of contrition and regret?” George Clooney is shown looking wistfully into the distance or with tears welling in his eyes so many times, that the emotional beats of this film get tedious during its two hour 12 minute run time. And to give this film more emotional depth, the life of Jay Kelly’s manager, played by Adam Sandler ("Hustle," 2022), is also explored as an ordinary counterpoint to the glittering spotlight.
You would think with Noah Baumbach being the director and co-screenwriter, that Jay Kelly would have a sharper more embittered mood. But it doesn’t. Noah Baumbach’s most memorable films have brisk, busy, multi-voiced dialogue that feels personal and revealing like The Squid and the Whale (2005), Frances Ha (2012), or Marriage Story (2019).
Some scenes in "Jay Kelly" have this same kind of busy, exciting dialogue which does wonders showing the overzealous minutiae of Hollywood workings behind the cameras. But other scenes are so cheesy and sappily nostalgic, it made me think Mr. Baumbach has sadly lost his edge. Has he reached the zone of old age himself causing his own regrets of the past to surface? My answer is probably yes.
In one scene at a train station, two of Jay Kelly’s helpers talk about their unfulfilled romance together. Oh my! One of them abandoned the other at the top of the Eiffel Tower years ago? How creatively tragic…not! During a train ride through Italy, Jay Kelly jumps off the train to chase after a thief who stole an old woman’s purse. How heroic, right? No it isn’t! And isn’t it a gorgeous coincidence this chase ends in a cemetery so Jay can be reminded of his mortality for a dramatic solitary pause? How poignant, right? No. These moments feel more like, “How desperate can this film get to appear touching to viewers?”
Parts of this film reminded me of the quote from Bette Davis in "All About Eve" (1950). "Funny business, a woman's career - the things you drop on your way up the ladder so you can move faster. You forget you'll need them again when you get back to being a woman." Too bad the uninspired sentimentality makes "Jay Kelly" a far cry from other thoughtful films about show biz.
Now for a shocker: I appreciate both George Clooney’s and Adam Sandler’s performances in this. Neither of them go over the top or broad in their roles even when showing frustration, insecurity, heartbreak, or brotherly love. They both remain rooted in a realistic, unadorned kind of acting, which helps the external events in this film feel like business as usual, and that’s all great.
But the directing and writing are so full of clichés, the film feels silly and self-indulgent. But I guess for some Hollywood people, that’s what movies are for.
