Richard Tobin reviews the 2025 movie Jay Kelly; an eponymous film that centers around the life of an actor and his Hollywood tribulations.
Although Jay Kelly isn’t a film for everyone, it is likely that aspiring artists and fans of director Noah Baumbach will find moments to appreciate. In comparison to Baumbach’s best work, this film feels uneven and less authentic to real life. However, the film still manages to inject enough intimacy to make it feel meaningful in its high points.
Jay Kelly (George Clooney) is the protagonist of the eponymous film, a celebrated actor who seems to have it all but internally is adrift and dissatisfied with his life. Accompanied by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler), he embarks on a journey across Europe, where they both confront the choices they’ve made, the relationships they’ve neglected, and the legacy Jay might leave behind.
At times the film gets bogged down in flashbacks and contrived plot points. The film’s most celebrated scenes include moments like Jay desperately trying to make conversation with his daughter, and chasing after his own Dad in a taxi. This is where the film really shines despite how tough those particular scenes can be to watch. It is evident that Jay’s manager Ron truly admires Jay as we witness his character sacrificing his familial life for work. Initially, Ron doesn’t resent Jay for this uneven work-life balance, further strengthening his supposed admiration for the actor. What lies at the heart of the film is Ron’s increasing awareness of the power imbalance between himself and Ray, as we witness their established power dynamic shift in an uncomfortable manner.
In terms of visuals, it’s a really beautiful film to look at. Linus Sandgren’s work as Director of Photography makes the colours pop unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a Baumbach film. Filmed on 35mm cameras, the lush green countryside, European blue skies, and yellow Tuscan buildings are visually striking. The shot framing really emphasises how isolated the characters are, juxtaposing the crammed train scene depicted later in the film. The camerawork mostly functions as an understated way to enhance the story but there’s the odd “one take” shot that feels designed to wow as opposed to adding anything to the story. Unfortunately, these shots come across as artificial and at odds with the story they’re trying to tell.
For anyone who’s seen Sandler’s recent performances, I don’t think it’s controversial to say he’s more comfortable with drama than comedy nowadays and this film is no exception. He really nails the quiet frustration and sadness of his character: a guy trying his best but juggling too much amidst the quiet loss of his passion for life. Sandler really stands out in a film with some great performances so I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up in the Oscar race. As for the rest of the cast, big names like Jim Broadbent and Greta Gerwig nail smaller roles while Clooney is great in the lead role. It is easy to imagine how unusual this role must have been for Clooney, some of his performance feels so sincere that you can’t help but sense real life bleeding into art.
Ultimately, Jay Kelly plays like a fable made for Hollywood elites to enjoy amongst themselves, rather than a story made for everyone to enjoy. Yes, it does a great job at taking the audience and putting them in someone else’s shoes for two hours, but I question if many will get any new insights from the experience. The film does show the difficulties in life as an actor however, and how the grass is nearly always greener on the other side.
In saying this, the film does feel slightly out of touch, and fails to invoke any sustained sympathy in me for the protagonist. His character shows very little willingness to change, even when he’s aware of how bad his personal relationships have gotten, making his pleas for a do-over all the more hollow. The “real life” people and scenarios he deals with, like trying to enjoy a train journey while surrounded by fans for example, also come across as forced, failing to depict reality, despite the film trying to convince us that it is.
Jay Kelly isn’t a failure by any stretch of the imagination but it does feel out of place among Baumbach’s deeply personal filmography. I think shifting the focus of the film from Clooney’s jilted actor to Sandler’s kind and unassuming manager would have been a much more fascinating way to explore the film’s ultimate message of prioritising our life and our loved ones over work.
Sandler’s character is the heart of the film and ultimately, he is the one who actually shows a desire to change himself for his family. Maybe that’s the point of Baumbach’s film, to show Hollywood creatives how hollow life gets when you stop caring about people. Unfortunately, that point is never fully translated to viewers. The film simply taps on the door of meaning, as opposed to kicking it down.