The new Netlix movie JAY KELLY stars George Clooney as a famous movie actor, still working late in his career, but dealing with the pressures of fame and family disconnects, all while realizing that even his own professional crew are getting exhausted with the task of keeping his happy. His manager Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler) is juggling his own family while trying to find time to oversee other popular clients, while his publicist Liz (Laura Dern) is reaching the end of her rope professionally, and coping with a failed attempt at love with Ron.
While attending the funeral of a film director and mentor, Jay reconnects with his old roommate Timothy (Billy Crudup), which at first seems like a fun blast from the past, but he quickly realizes the man has been harboring resentment and hatred toward Jay for “stealing” his chance at stardom. This begins a series of events where Jay must reckon with his influences (both positive and negative) on friends, his own children, and his career, all culminating with him attending a special award ceremony meant to honor his acting legacy.
The journey taken here finds Kelly mingling with common people on a European train, which even leads to an unexpected tabloid hero moment for him. But it’s clear that no matter how much he may be respected by his fans, there are emotional regrets he can’t seem to overcome, and he begins to question who and what he has become.
JAY KELLY is a wonderful showcase for Clooney, who still commands the screen with charm and sophistication that makes him the perfectly inspired choice for this role. When he has good moments, you cheer for him, and when he struggles it always reads sincerely. His performance is the driving force behind the project, and elevates the material beyond the sum of its parts. Equally good as Adam Sandler, who also feels smartly cast as Kelly’s beleaguered agent Ron, a man who has sacrificed a lot of make his top client feel appreciated and important. But fame comes with a price, and Jay’s estranged children and even his own father have lost their connection with him, and it may be too late to mend those fences. Thus being successful and famous isn’t without its trappings and pain. Director Noah Baumbach captures all of this with a classic Hollywood feel, and in many ways JAY KELLY feels like a giant film of cultural importance… until it doesn’t. There are moments of greatness weaved throughout the sometimes overindulgent two hours and 12-minute run time – I honestly felt like trimming ten or twenty minutes off the production might have served the movie quite well, but it’s hard to say what scenes could have been easily sacrificed.
JAY KELLY is a really good film that falls a bit short of being great. Everyone in the movie is turning in a terrific and sincere performance, and it’s the kind of cinematic experience that reminds us why we go to the movies, but it’s just lacking that final punch that could make it feel like a perfect package. Part of the problem is Jay Kelly as a character experiences plenty of reasons for contemplation and self reflection, and we learn that historically he’s been given extensive moments for regret and remorse, but at the end of the story we don’t really see him evolve or change, and that feels like a denial of something that should have been earned. There is a last line of dialogue that almost does the trick, but it feels more like our lead character just wanting more of the same than actually wanting a do over, even if that may have been the intention of the script.
I really enjoyed JAY KELLY for what it was, an observation on the positives and negatives of celebrity and fame, and existing as someone trying to maintain their worth and demand in a sometimes narcissistic industry. We’ve certainly seen movies that evaluated the price of fame, sometimes showing devastating results, but usually involving trade offs one must decide for themselves. This also feels like a movie that’s trying really hard to be an award show darling, and it likely will get plenty of attention at all the big ones. As a film about Hollywood and the fame that comes with it, it’s succeeds more than it fails, but there was some serious potential here for it to stick the landing in a big way, and instead it fades out with only moderate satisfaction. Perhaps even that is a commentary on how the Hollywood machine isn’t always as rewarding as one might want it to be.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
