Review: Jay Kelly
Look, right away: the listing reads Jay Kelly | Official Trailer | Netflix - weird phrasing, but don't let that distract you. What matters is the film itself. Noah Baumbach (movies and tv series)'s latest is a low-key, oddly tender rumination on fame, regret and what happens when a life built for the spotlight starts to feel like someone else's script.
What it feels like
But here's the thing - this isn't a big, shouty satire. It's quiet. Patient. Intimate in a way that sneaks up on you. Think long conversations in hotel lobbies and restaurants, a handful of road-trip moments across Europe, and a careful focus on small, telling gestures more than plot fireworks. It's a midlife movie that's happy to linger on the discomfort of looking back.
Performances
George Clooney (movies and tv series) plays Jay Kelly with a soft offense - not brittle, but worn. And he lets himself fray in a way we haven't always seen from him. You can tell the scenes where he's genuinely trying to reckon with his own choices; those are the ones that stick. Adam Sandler (movies and tv series), as the long-suffering manager, is restrained and oddly devastating. He doesn't steal the movie so much as anchor it. The supporting cast - a mix of familiar faces - add texture without crowding the center.
Look and sound
Shot on film, it has that warm, slightly grainy texture that makes faces and rooms feel lived in. The cinematography favors medium and close shots; there's a tactile sense to the production design - worn leather seats, cigarette smoke in the air, the gleam of dusk on cobblestones. Nicholas Britell's score is there when you need it, but often Baumbach lets silence and ambient noise carry a scene. It's a smart choice. Less can be louder.
Writing and tone
Baumbach and Emily Mortimer (movies and tv series)'s script is conversational, sometimes meandering, and that's both a strength and a flaw. There are moments of razor clarity about celebrity and legacy. And there are stretches that feel indulgent - the film knows it's smart and expects you to agree. I'm not sure, but maybe that's intentional. It invites you to sit with discomfort rather than solve it.
Standout moments
- Close, unadorned exchanges where the camera lets you watch two people measure each other.
- A sequence in a small Tuscan town that feels like a memory replayed - moody and oddly funny.
- Quiet scenes where the trappings of celebrity are shown more as loneliness than glamour.
And a note on length: at roughly two hours plus, the film sometimes overstays its welcome. But when it's working, it breathes in a way most glossy studio pictures don't. It lets characters be ornery and boring and lovable all at once. That's rare.
Who it's for
If you like character pieces that simmer rather than explode, you'll find a lot to appreciate. If you're expecting a punchy Hollywood satire, you might come away unsatisfied. Personally, I found myself moved more than once - not by big reveals, but by the tiny concessions a person makes when they finally admit they're tired.
In short: Jay Kelly is subtle, occasionally self-important, often humane, and anchored by two performances that keep you watching. It's the kind of movie that rewards patience. And yes - whether you saw it under the awkwardly worded title Jay Kelly | Official Trailer | Netflix or somewhere else, give it a shot. It might get under your skin.
