In Jay Kelly, audiences are introduced to the unlikely but very likable star-powered double act of George Clooney and Adam Sandler, who work seamlessly together like old buddies.
Despite usually occupying very different film categories in fans’ minds, thanks to Clooney’s fascination with prestige pictures and Sandler more often found in broad comedy movies, upcoming Netflix flick Jay Kelly provides both of them with their best film in years.
From filmmaker Noah Baumbach, and co-written by British actress and scribe Emily Mortimer, Jay Kelly was a film developed with Clooney in mind to play the titular movie star suffering from a mid-career existential crisis.
Following the death of an old director friend (Jim Broadbent) and a run-in with a jealous former classmate (a scene-stealing Billy Crudup), Jay decides to use a short shooting break to head on an impromptu break to Europe.
On the face of it, it’s so he can be honoured at an Italian film festival, but the erstwhile actor and part-time dad is in fact trailing his younger daughter (Grace Edwards) around in a last-ditch attempt to bond with her before she starts university.
Get personalised updates on all things Netflix
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Sandler is Ron, Jay’s committed long-time manager, who naturally ends up on Jay’s holiday with him, alongside Laura Dern as his publicist Liz and a whole extended Hollywood entourage.
A chunk of the film takes part on a long train journey, where Jay encounters all sorts of people and allows Baumbach to trot out a lot of the astounding ensemble cast he’s wrangled.
Clooney appears to be playing a version of himself after recently bluntly indicating that he’s not bothered by those who criticise him for doing so – and to be fair to Clooney, while the parallels might seem striking between him and Jay (the film even utilises a sizzle reel made from some of Clooney’s most memorable performances), that shouldn’t take away from the nuance and range of his acting here..
Sandler – working for the second time with Baumbach after 2017’s The Meyerowitz Stories – is also on top form as Ron, a quiet but committed man who takes his job seriously and rarely even cracks a smile; we’re miles apart from the grunting and gags of Happy Gilmore 2.
While Jay Kelly is nothing groundbreaking narrative-wise, either in its explorations of the inner workings of Hollywood or Jay’s examination of past choices to help him learn a life lesson, it’s all still deftly handled.
The humour running through is gentle but constant, skewering a lot of the inner workings of the movie industry while still demonstrating fondness and nostalgia for the art.
A standout scene sees Crudup’s failed actor Tim read out a menu in method style, at the behest of an admiring Jay, with Crudup’s bravura performance here drawing a spontaneous round of applause at my preview screening.
Rather charmingly old-fashioned, Jay Kelly is exactly the type of film that’s getting harder and harder to make in Hollywood – an adult drama with a price tag high enough to support its sprawling cast.
Perhaps this will convince executives that, when properly crafted, there’s still an appetite for this kind of movie.
Jay Kelly premiered at Cannes Film Festival on Thursday night. It will release in UK cinemas on November 14 before arriving on Netflix on December 5.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
