Jay Kelly - Review 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

NOAH Baumbach’s Jay Kelly is a deceptive piece of work that charms and disarms almost in spite of its potential weaknesses.

The film follows the fortunes of pampered Hollywood actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) as he heads to Italy to accept a lifetime achievement award at a Tuscan Arts Festival, while simultaneously keeping tabs on his teenage daughter, who is backpacking around Europe.

The jaunt coincides with a late career crisis, prompted by the death of his directorial mentor (Jim Broadbent), whom he recently refused to help, and a subsequent meeting with his more talented drama school former pal (Billy Crudup), from whom he ruthlessly stole a key part at the beginning of their careers.

Joining him on the trip, meanwhile, is his long-suffering agent Ron (Adam Sandler), and the rest of his entourage, several of whom have seen their lives drift by in service to Jay’s various wants and needs.

Taken at face value, Jay Kelly isn’t someone we should particularly sympathise with, let alone like, given his self-serving attitude and habit of letting people down, while the movie star world in which he inhabits should also feel somewhat self-adoring and out of touch.

But Baumbach’s script, which he co-wrote with Emily Mortimer (who also co-stars), transcends its setting to examine themes that are universally relatable. It helps that Clooney brings his considerable charm to Kelly too - albeit with that ruthless streak that makes room for some added darkness.

For while Kelly’s world may be laced with Hollywood trappings (including private jets and swish hotels and villas) his decisions have repercussions that have a very real world resonance.

The stakes are set out early on during a blistering scene between Clooney and Crudup: a scene that begins with comical reminiscing and a stand-alone tour-de-force from Crudup as he recites a bar menu in ‘method acting’ mode, seemingly for Jay Kelly’s pleasure.

Within moments, though, the revelry is replaced by more seething rivalry, as Crudup’s failed actor turned child shrink reveals his true feelings for Kelly - feelings that end in a brawl (unseen) and trigger Kelly’s soul-searching for the remainder of the film.

This scene is, in many ways, the film’s standout moment, offering insight into its direction and sympathy. Lines are memorable and lasting, not least when they discuss parenting and decide: “That's the tragedy of parenting. We are only successful once we've made ourselves irrelevant".

It’s a line that also provides the catalyst for Clooney’s character to begin deconstructing his life and his choices: from the deceptions to the letdowns and his absence as a father, as well as his inability to take responsibility for it and the effect it has had on his daughters.

For Sandler’s Ron, too, the European trip forces him to take stock of his own choices and his blind devotion to Kelly - a path that cost him his relationship to his one true love (played by Laura Dern) and which is placing fresh strain on his existing marriage to Lois (Greta Gerwig) and his relationship with his own kids (who need him).

Both actors portray their various dilemmas well. If Clooney trades on the familiar in terms of using that famous smile or easygoing charm (especially when liaising with his fans), he also cleverly subverts it during quieter, more melancholy and uncertain moments with his insecurities and doubts.

There is a building sense of someone who has missed out on his own life while in pursuit of fame and providing memories for others. It becomes something that haunts him.

For Sandler, on the other hand, there’s a nagging sense that he has misplaced his loyalty and misdirected his life. He’s fiercely loyal but often hopelessly misguided.

The scenes between the two stars are often mesmerising, especially once the tension between them gives rise to a long overdue reckoning.

Jay Kelly is therefore something of a bittersweet ode to the work-life choices we are all forced to make in our lives: that push and pull between being there for your loved ones and pursuing a career.

It’s a film to enjoy and savour (courtesy of its strong performances and lush locations) but also one to ponder for sometime afterwards.

It has a lingering beauty and a timeless reach.

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 2hrs 15mins