Jay Kelly is one of my favorite subgenres of movies—those about the art of filmmaking, movies, and actors themselves. The film follows famous movie starJay Kelly as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager Ron. Noah Baumbach joins Emily Mortimer to write this script; This is Mortimer’s first feature film, and while in some pieces it is noticeable, it is impressive work for a debut script. Baumbach’s touch of every person feeling lived in and personable in his screenplays once again shines.
The ideas of memories coming back to you when you need them most and defining the emotional relationships around you are mature work. George Clooney and Adam Sandler, who plays Ron, are the defining relationship of this story. While there are a lot of moments and friends in Jay’s life, it is the current relationship with Ron that develops the most over the course of the film. Throughout, we see how much Ron does for Jay, even putting his own family needs on hold for the betterment of his client.
Slowly, we see Ron fall less and less in love with Jay. Coming to terms that what he thought was a beautiful friendship is really just a manager-client relationship. All the important moments in his life, he has wanted Jay there, but the same can’t be said for Jay about having those moments with Ron. Sandler conveys this dynamic beautifully, and it is really heartwrenching to watch him go through these emotions. It is this performance from Sandler that is my favorite aspect of this film. Baumbach uses Sandler’s charisma and emotional weight effortlessly. Sandler has always been this bombastic presence in films, but he can be reserved when he needs to. Such as in this, and his work in Punch-Drunk Love (2002). When given the right direction, the work Sandler is able to give always impresses me.
Obviously, you have to talk about the other end of this dynamic. Jay is this larger-than-life figure constantly having someone around him, whether that be Ron or his publicist, Liz, played by Laura Dern. It is a very metatextual role for Clooney as he is just playing himself down to even being from Kentucky in the film, as he is in real life. It has to be cathartic for Clooney playing a role like this. Playing an aging star as he looks back on his life, realizing that he has worked so much that the small, intimate moments and relationships in his life feel obsolete.
On paper, it does seem hard for you to feel for this character when he has everything he can want. There is some cynicism that comes from being a celebrity of his stature in a movie like this. I’d be lying if I did not feel that disdain for Jay at some points throughout. Wondering what I am supposed to be rooting for since it seems he does not really grow from his actions and decisions. At first, I was thinking Baumbach was going to subvert expectations by showing that sometimes people don’t change even with self-reflection, but then the end comes around. It really got me in a way I did not expect it to, making me recontextualize the whole movie, finally understanding what Baumbach and Mortimer were trying to achieve.
That memory and friendship are a part of your legacy. When you look back at your life and the impact you think you’ve made, the reason you are in such a good place is because of the support around you. Even if you did not give that support back at times when you most needed to. And for Jay, he realizes that, unlike his films, there are no retakes. The ending drives all of this home to a staggering degree, causing me to shed a couple of tears in the process, as all of the emotions of that coming-to-Jesus moment for Jay finally hit him.
It would be unfair for me not to mention Billy Crudup. He has one scene, but he is what sets Jay on this odyssey of reflection for his life. Besides the ending, it is my favorite scene by far. Crudup commands the screen, honestly, better than Clooney. While Crudup tells Jay how much he despises him, a light flickers on for Clooney. The charm comes off, and he immediately spirals, thinking about how many other people he has affected negatively. Especially his daughters and closest friends.
The script does try to tackle a lot, and not every relationship dynamic lands. Some of the ideas on being a better “movie” father than an actual father is territory we have seen before. This is where the film drags. Not that the relationships with his daughters don’t matter, it is just done in ways we have seen countless times in other films. Where it shines the brightest is when it focuses on the close friendships he thought he had with the people around him, when in reality, it’s more of a one-way friendship. These themes are starkly different and feel more mature than Baumbach’s previous coming-of-age tales.
Visually, Linus Sandgren shoots the hell out of this movie. I was lucky enough to see a 35mm print of this, and my goodness does it just pop off the screen. The color is so deep and rich, the framing devices used for the Hollywood sets and the sequences on a train are dazzling.
Whenever Jay is talking to someone one-on-one, he is shot by himself in the frame, but when it cuts to the other person talking, he is always in the frame to some capacity. Sandgren shows off how Jay thinks he is so singular, but to everyone around him, he is a major part of their life in some way. In contrast, Jay sees these people as not as important to him. When the camera work changes as we near the end, we visually start to see Jay’s transformation and how he now thinks of people and himself, making the closing all the more impactful.
You can see the script is heavily influenced by Robert Altman’s The Player (1992). While this story does not go as meta as Altman’s film, this story does indeed have heavy meta elements—Clooney basically playing himself, and even Baumbach playing a director in the film. The story feels much more personal and freeing—a big apology in how art can take you away with the very emotions you are trying to portray. It is intelligent filmmaking. I applaud it for that. Also, as a native Cincinnatian, it is hard for me not to like what is basically a George Clooney biopic.
Jay Kelly is a joyous coming-of-age film for and about adults. Clooney and Sandler give some of the best work of their careers. The highlight was a very reserved and nuanced Adam Sandler performance that really knocked my socks off. It wins you over, and really gets under your skin if you allow it. I have been thinking about it constantly since seeing it in Chicago, and that is always the best indicator for me of how a movie has affected me. It is a moving crowd-pleaser that features some of our greatest working actors. It should be required viewing for when it hits Netflix this holiday season.
Review Courtesy of Jacob Diedenhofer
Image Credit to Netflix