Josh Reviews Jay Kelly
In Noah Baumbach’s film Jay Kelly, George Clooney plays an aging movie-star (the titular Jay Kelly) looking back on his life and finding himself lonely and regretful about many of his life choices, while Adam Sandler plays his manager Ron, who has spent much of his adult life taking care of everything Jay wanted and needed. Jay Kelly is directed and co-written by Mr. Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg, Frances Ha) & Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island, Hugo, The Newsroom).
I found myself quite taken by Noah Baumbach’s film, despite my initial resistance towards feeling any empathy towards someone as rich and famous as a George Clooney-type mega-star. It was Adam Sandler who really grabbed my attention. I have enjoyed Mr. Sandler in serious dramatic roles before this (Punch-Drunk Love, Spanglish, Funny People, and most especially in Uncut Gems), but he is next-level great here. He steals the movie from George Clooney (who is also terrific, by the way). (It’s interesting to me that both Jay Kelly and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere spotlight the long-suffering manager working on behalf of a famous star!) I thought that Adam Sandler’s character Ron was written to be a fascinating character; someone who has always put his clients first and worked tirelessly on their behalf. Ron considers Jay to be family, and calls him by an endearingly sweet nickname (“puppy”). But does Jay feel the same way? Is Ron just an employee? This is a fascinating and potentially fraught dynamic. Mr. Sandler is magnificent in bringing the layers of Ron to light. When Ron feels hurt by Jay — and when he really gets misused by his other client Ben (played by Patrick Wilson) — I was moved by the way Mr. Sandler played Ron’s heartbreak and disappointment. On the other hand, it’s not crazy to think that perhaps Ron has been deluding himself, and that his view of his relationship with Jay might not truly be accurate. I love this tension in the film’s story, and Mr. Sandler plays every note of this beautifully.
None of which is to say that George Clooney isn’t great, too! I’ve always felt that Mr. Clooney was a great actor (even though one could be pardoned for thinking he’d become a big star just because of his looks), and it’s fun to see him get to sink his teeth into a role like this. Casting George Clooney in this role as the world-famous Jay was obviously intended to cause the audience to feel as if there were autobiographical aspects to this character and his story. I have no idea if there are or aren’t, but I love how well Mr. Clooney makes us believe in this character and his life. It’s a wonderfully naturalistic performance; it really does almost feel like Mr. Clooney is just playing himself! But there are layers here. We can see the ways in which Jay chafes under his superstar fame, and also the way he’s come to almost depend on it. I really enjoyed watching Mr. Clooney in this film.
That powerful duo of Mr. Clooney & Mr. Sandler in the lead roles are surrounded by one amazing supporting turn after another. I loved seeing Laura Dern as Jay’s publicist, Liz. She’s more open (and honest?) than Ron is about being exasperated at Jay’s behavior. I loved the flirtatious way that Ms. Dern & Mr. Sandler played their scenes together. (Though that kiss before Liz departs the story felt like a misstep for the movie. That’s a pretty big faux pas for a married man in my opinion, and the film just ignores it after it happens.) I understand why Liz isn’t involved in the film’s second half — it makes sense to focus in on Jay and Ron — but I missed her after she left the train and the movie! Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Mission: Impossible III, Watchmen, Jackie) is only in two sequences early in the movie, but he makes an enormous impact as Timothy, an old acting-school buddy of Jay’s who we learn always seemed like the more talented one, back in the day. Yet Jay became a superstar, and Timothy never made it. It’s a heartbreaking look at the other side of the coin in Hollywood, and a pivotal character in launching Jay on his emotional journey that carries him through this movie. It’s a pivotal role, and if it didn’t work, this movie wouldn’t work. Mr. Crudup hits it out of the park, beautifully playing the rollercoaster of emotion that Timothy goes through when he unexpectedly encounters Jay. It’s impressive work.
Stacy Keach (American History X, Escape from L.A., W., Nebraska) is memorable as Jay’s difficult (to put it mildly) father. It’s a pleasure to see that Mr. Keach is still so powerful an on-screen persona, even at age 84! Jim Broadbent (Brazil, Cloud Atlas, Brooklyn) is wonderful and heartbreaking as Peter Schneider, the director who gave Jay his big break but whom Jay unfortunately declined to help in his later years. Riley Keough (The Girlfriend Experience, Mad Max: Fury Road) really blew me away with her work as Jessica, Jay’s estranged older daughter. Grace Edwards (one of the Stargazers in Asteroid City) does a great job as Daisy, Jay’s younger daughter. Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Young Adult, Aquaman) is pitch-perfect as Ben Alcock, a younger actor who Ron also manages, but who doesn’t value him the way Ron deserves. Greta Gerwig (Greenberg, Jackie, and the talented director of films such as Lady Bird and Barbie) sparkles in her small role of Lois, Ron’s wife.
Mr. Baumbach & Ms. Mortimer’s script wisely keeps the film jaunty and playful, for the most part, rather than becoming too dour or saccharine. The structure allows us the time to dig into the characters of Jay and Ron, and there is depth there, but the story keeps moving along at a pleasant pace, so we don’t wallow in too much naval-gazing. My worry when watching a film like this is that it might resolve too neatly or simply. The bad dad learns the error of his ways, everybody hugs, the end. I was pleased this story didn’t resolve into a pat, happy ending. There’s a sense that perhaps Jay has learned something along this journey. Ron too. I’m not quite sure where their relationship (both professional and personal) is left at the end of the story. I was a little surprised we didn’t get more clarity, but when thinking about it, I think the ending feels right to me.
This is a fine film, and it’s available to watch on Netflix right now. It was one of my favorite movies of 2025. If you missed it, it’s worth a watch.
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