Jay Kelly

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've loved Noah Baumbach from the jump, however here we are in 2025 with a retrospective character study that grabs, dips, and meanders from a semi-relatable introspection to how-did-we-get-here slog. I liked it? Yes, mostly. I was never bored, and I did laugh out loud at quite a few parts, it's just - - - editing, I guess? Some things definitely could have taken up residence on the cutting room floor. Sandler does a fine job, as does the entirety of the cast. I cue Sandler though because Sandler. He isn't exactly known for his subtlety. The music is a nice stand out. Mortimer being co-writer, her character could've gotten more play. And Laura Dern? Love her. But if the film lost her character entirely, that might give the pace a little more? As it stands, it's the cacophonous surroundings of Jay Kelly's world that elevate the film as much as it bogs itself down. Less is more.

This was disappointing and I got bored in the first 15 minutes. I've never been a Clooney fan but I was expecting lots more from him in this role. It's so obviously trying very hard to promote him for another Oscar. Lots of close ups showing off his aging but still handsome face, which in my opinion, is all he has to offer. The frequent flashbacks were disconcerting and awkwardly inserted. Stacy Keach was enjoying himself. Sandler was much better, his dramatic roles are always excellent and heartfelt. This could easily have been all about him as a manager of a self-absorbed star. If you want to watch this, watch it for Sandler, not Clooney.

This film stretches a premise that could barely sustain a short into a full-length feature, and the padding shows. The characters exist in isolation from one another, creating zero chemistry or meaningful interaction that might draw viewers in.

The casting defaults to the tired formula of white male protagonists, while Europe is rendered through embarrassingly outdated stereotypes that feel decades out of touch. The performances across the board are wooden and unconvincing, suggesting either poor direction or miscast roles-likely both.

In two decades of watching films, this stands out as the most unnecessary addition to cinema I've encountered. Skip it.

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.