JAY KELLY (NETFLIX) (2025)

SYNOPSIS: Famous movie actor Jay Kelly embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting his past and present with his devoted manager Ron. Poignant and humor-filled, pitched at the intersection of regrets and glories.

MOVIE REVIEW:

A movie starring a big movie star about a movie star. As far as satire goes, director and co-writer Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale) latest dramedy is taking the piss at the very industry he is working at or is he? It might not be Noah’s best work to date but certainly, much to indulge in.

Hollywood superstar Jay Kelly (George Clooney) has just finished shooting his latest movie and about to go for costume fitting the following Monday for another new role until a bitter meetup with his former acting roommate, Timothy (Billy Crudup) makes him change his mind. To the astonishment of his entourage including his faithful manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist, Liz (Laura Dern), Jay decides to drop out of the movie and instead spends time with his younger daughter, Daisy (Grace Edwards) before she goes to college.

At this point, you might think Kelly is a narcissistic A-hole who turned down his once mentor Peter Schneider (Jim Broadbent) request for appearing in the latter planned comeback effort or his estranged relationships with his two daughters, Daisy and Jessica (Riley Keough). However, Kelly just wants to make things right for once.

Jay Kelly is more of the characters than the story on the whole. It opens up the world of a superstar through the eyes of George Clooney, oops sorry Jay Kelly, the fictional star whose entire life is consumed by his acting career. He is afraid of losing his stardom when he was younger thus neglecting the existence of his then young daughters. At present, he is an aging, weary actor haunted by the past including his feud with Timothy and Clooney delivers a nuanced, emotional performance as his character struggles with his complicated past and present.

Sandler’s Ron Sukenick is yet another terrific role for the underrated comedian. Ron is an overworked, exhausted man. Most of the time, he is doing whatever he can to elevate Jay’s acting status that he is neglecting his very own family. It comes to a point where he realises his efforts might not be fully appreciated by Kelly. Friend or just a working relationship becomes a recurring issue for Ron and Sandler nails the role perfectly with a less than showy performance as a man on the verge of a breakdown.

As mentioned, Jay Kelly is best enjoyed as simply a complex study on human beings than a straight-out satirical movie of a Hollywood superstar. Baumbach has never been a filmmaker driven by commercial instincts and Jay Kelly is yet another of his bittersweet movies about relationships and family. The Hollywood setting is just a facade for Baumbach to tell his tale. Overall, it’s an engrossing road trip, one that is greatly enhanced by the rich performances of Clooney and Sandler.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee