"(3 stars) There's a lot to like about "Jay Kelly," the unexpectedly sweet new film from director Noah Baumbach. It's beautifully shot, bustles with strong performances by a roundly endearing cast and indulges in an old-Hollywood elegance well-suited to its story: the late-life crisis of its titular megastar, played - embodied, really - by George Clooney. "It's like a movie where I'm playing myself," Jay tells his manager Ron (genially portrayed by Adam Sandler) as he struggles to unpack what's eating him."
"As such, Jay has spent so many years playing others that he's forgotten the lines to his own life. He's estranged from one daughter, Jessica (Riley Keough), and about to lose his second, Daisy (Grace Edwards), to young adulthood and quite possibly a young filmmaker she met in Paris. His star is gently fading; his name migrating from marquees to statuettes; Ron and Liz (his burned-out publicist, played with unfussy charm by Laura Dern) remain by his side out of a distorted model of friendship."
Jay Kelly centers on a Hollywood megastar confronting a late-life crisis and the blurring of on-screen persona with private identity. George Clooney embodies the title character while Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards and Charlie Rowe provide strong supporting performances. The story follows Jay's estrangement from his daughters, the gentle fading of his stardom, and regret over past professional choices. The film employs old-Hollywood aesthetics and Scrooge-like flashbacks to reveal unflattering episodes from Jay's past. A tribute gala and highlight reel underscore the theme of celebrity as a worn relic of personal life.
Read at The Washington Post
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