Hollywood loves to watch itself. Many films and television series examine the entertainment business, and sometimes the environment of Tinseltown is just as interesting as they think it is. Sometimes it’s not. Jay Kelly lands somewhere in the middle, focusing more on the characters and delivering wonderful performances from an impressive cast.
George Clooney plays the title character in Jay Kelly, an actor who is in the middle of decades of fame at 60 years old. He has two daughters, and he’s about to start another film. Then an unexpected sequence of events causes him to question everything about his life. First, his mentor passes away, then he runs into an old friend who used to be an actor, too. His manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), persuades him to accept a tribute at a film festival in Italy. Memories of the past and worries about the present crowd in on Jay. His journey becomes more than just a geographical one, and he confronts who he is in a way he never has before.
Jay Kelly on Netflix is more of a character study than an exposé of Hollywood, and it turns out to be better than it should be. This is thanks to the acting, some good directorial choices from Noah Baumbach, and a story with the right amount of self-awareness.
MORE: If you want more details about other films on Netflix this month, we’ve got you covered with our breakdown of What’s New and Leaving the streamer!
“I wish you were the man I thought you were.”
Baumbach begins this film with a fantastic shot that hooks you into the story. It is a “oner” as they call it in the movie business, otherwise known as a long, unbroken tracking shot. This one travels over a film set until we watch Jay Kelly perform the final take of his last scene in his latest movie. The dramatic lighting and Jay’s dedication to giving a good performance create an aura of glamour. And isn’t that what we think about when we imagine Hollywood? Premieres, festivals, and awards shows thrive on that aura, but this shot demonstrates that the actual work of the industry might have a bit of it too.
Besides that, this first scene establishes the quality of the screenplay as well. Dialogue hops around from character to character in these first couple of minutes. All of it nicely sketches in a bit of characterization for each of them, whether they are background characters or a major supporting character like Ron. The central theme is evident from the start here, too. “This is the end,” is the first line of dialogue in the film. It’s spoken by a background crew member, but that sense of looking back permeates the entire script. Jay’s lines in the movie he’s filming in this scene echo that theme. But Jay also examines his real life the same way. That’s what the whole plot is about.
In addition, the writing of this film blends humor and drama effectively. Most of all, Baumbach and his co-writer, actress Emily Mortimer, are aware of the possible drawbacks of this story. Do we need another story about a famous white man? The script addresses this. Ron gets another client an award at the Italian arts festival, too, and when they greet each other, he says to Jay, “Only in Italy would they give two middle-aged white men an award.” Acknowledgement like that makes the plot work. And helps keep Jay’s emotional development interesting.
MORE: Want a review of another movie Noah Baumbach wrote? Read our review of Barbie!
“My time passed while I was still alive.”
The screenplay is self-aware in other ways, too. Such as the idea of mixing acting and politics. In that same conversation I just mentioned, another character comments on Jay’s heroic chasing of a purse snatcher by saying, “Jay Kelly for President!” and asking if he would run. Jay says no. Considering Clooney’s real-life opinions about Joe Biden, lots of people are probably relieved to hear that, even in the context of fiction.
Clooney’s position as a Hollywood statesman is not what it once was. However, his talent and screen charisma have not diminished. Jay is someone audiences could easily lose patience with. Even though actors might have to be a little self-absorbed to succeed, Jay tends toward too much of that. His desperate appeals to his daughters to improve their relationships and his obvious love for what he does counteract those tendencies for the audience. Also, it’s hard to deny how potent Clooney’s movie star presence was when they show clips from his real performances at the tribute.
Jay’s relationship with Ron is another positive point for the viewer, and Sandler delivers one of his best performances. It is subtle in a way he rarely is, but he also conveys when the big moments are happening. Sandler and the screenplay are the most likely awards contenders from this film. I think that would be deserved. They are the biggest reasons why Jay Kelly is a better film than you might expect.
MORE: Another awards contender this year is Train Dreams and we’ve got a review for you to check out!
4 stars out of 5
Jay Kelly is streaming on Netflix.
