Jay Kelly

An aging megastar (George Clooney) discovers that he has sacrificed far too much of his magnificent 35-year career in his private life. With his entire entourage (including Laura Dern and Adam Sandler as assistants whose sole purpose in life is Jay Kelly's well-being), he follows his recently grown daughter to Paris and accepts a trivial film award in Tuscany.

Hollywood is once again searching its own navel for entertaining stories about privileged people experiencing an existential crisis. The only noteworthy aspects are the European stars in minor supporting roles. Alba Rohrwacher plays a laid-back festival employee from Italy, and Lars Eidinger appears as a German cyclist with mental health issues. Oh yes, and it was nice to see Stacy Keach again, who plays Jay Kelly's father.

You can certainly laugh in Noah Baumbach's film, but primarily at the clash between the saccharine world of a Hollywood star and the everyday reality of ordinary people. It's entertaining, but also quickly forgotten.

There was a time when a pairing like George Clooney and Adam Sandler would have felt like an automatic win. Jay Kelly arrives carrying that expectation, along with the promise of a reflective, midlife character study built on wit, melancholy, and lived-in performances. Unfortunately, the film never quite finds its footing, resulting in a viewing experience that is more puzzling than provocative.

The biggest issue is apparent early on. The first half of Jay Kelly feels strangely undercooked, not in terms of effort but in execution. Scenes drift without momentum, tonal choices feel uncertain, and the film appears unsure of what kind of story it wants to tell. Is this a gentle comedy, a character-driven drama, or an offbeat meditation on aging and regret? Rather than allowing those elements to organically coexist, the film toggles between them in a way that feels hesitant and uneven. The result is a movie that feels "off," a hard sensation to pin down but impossible to ignore.

Clooney and Sandler are both serviceable, but that word is hardly a compliment given what they are capable of. Clooney leans on his familiar, weathered charm, while Sandler delivers a muted, introspective turn that recalls some of his better dramatic work - yet neither performance feels fully shaped. There's a sense that both actors are waiting for the material to deepen, to demand more from them, and that moment rarely comes. The supporting cast does little to elevate the film, existing more as functional pieces than fully realized characters. To its credit, the film improves as it goes. The latter half contains several genuinely effective moments, hints of emotional clarity and thematic purpose that suggest the film finally understands what it wants to be. These scenes are quietly affecting and make the disappointment sharper, as they reveal the stronger movie buried beneath the surface.

It's easy to see why Jay Kelly has found its defenders. The intentions are thoughtful, the atmosphere is mild and reflective, and the story gestures toward meaningful ideas about connection and identity. But intention alone isn't enough. What's missing is conviction - in pacing, in tone, and in storytelling. Jay Kelly isn't a failure so much as a missed opportunity, a film that had the tools to resonate deeply but never fully figured out how to use them.

Some movies are not for everyone. This film isn't really about an actor or his team of people. It's about choices. The choices we all make each day and each year that add up to our life.

It feels like every middle to late middle aged person should relate to the characters in this film, even if they've made good choices (or ones they can live with).

If only we could do it over again, I wonder how we'd all do?

If an aging, successful, handsome movie star makes a movie about an aging, successful, handsome movie star - you are constantly pondering how much of this is about him in real life and how much is just fiction? Whilst every actor must bring something from their life into a part we do need to remember that this is just a movie, it is not a George Clooney biopic. But boy it is hard to get that out of your head.

As a movie it is fine. It is not sensational, it is not moving, it is not exciting. It is gentle enough exploring the price of pursuing something at the cost of family and personal relationships.

There is achievement, but the price is too high.

Clooney is always excellent and the other roles, significantly Adam Sandler, (great to see him not in a childish comedy), all play well. The lifestyle depicted is hard to believe but here is where Clooney's real life must be a check. If this is not the way big movie stars travel then he would know. So I assume the entourage that accompany him for no good reason must be what happens when you are rich, famous and in need of babysitting. I can well imagine a secretary coming along but your lawyer?

All of them are leeches of one sort or another even the dedicated manager Sandler.

Do I care about Jay Kelly as a person? Not much. He's not a bad man but not a particularly good one either. He is a very ordinary man with talent and an extraordinary job.

I appreciated that Jay Kelly the superstar actor is not a diva. He doesn't throw things or shout and scream. He is perfectly pleasant which is what you hope for from such people. But he is somewhat self-absorbed which must be hard to avoid when everyone tells you how wonderful you are.

The last line of the movie, which I won't give away, is cleverly done. It could mean several different things and each viewer has to make their mind up about which way Kelly means it.

I strongly suspect that Clooney, as himself, would not have needed to say it.

I happen to catch this at the NYFF. This is the type of film we need now. It focuses on our humanity, our relationships, our joys and regrets. The movie captures accurately the working relationships of a movie star and his supporting entourage. And demonstrates the sacrifices that are sometimes necessary to achieve such success. The performances were wonderful. Adam Sandler has really come along way. He just gets better and better as a dramatic actor. His performance was heartbreaking and hopefully he'll receive many deserving accolades for it. Clooney, well, he never disappoints but this is the most vulnerable role I've ever seen him tackle and he did it superbly. I was very moved and hope everyone sees this film.