Noah Baumbach has always gravitated toward character-driven storytelling, films that carefully explore human behavior and the choices that define us. Those are the kinds of films that I connect with most. I love watching films where I can see myself in the characters and understand the motivations behind their actions. Jay Kelly is one of those films.
The film centers on Jay Kelly (George Clooney), a wildly successful movie star who has just wrapped one project and is gearing up for his next. His momentum halts after the death of Peter Schneider (Jim Broadbent), an old industry colleague who helped launch his career. At Peter’s funeral, Jay reconnects with Timothy (Billy Crudup), his former acting partner. Over drinks, Timothy admits he feels Jay “stole” the career that should have been his. Their argument turns into a parking lot brawl, and the confrontation sends Jay spiraling. This incident leads to Jay reevaluating his life decisions while confronting his past. Determined to make amends, Jay seeks to repair his fractured relationship with his daughters, Daisy (Grace Edwards) and Jessica (Riley Keough).
Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly is one of those films that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable, especially for anyone who’s worked in or around the entertainment industry. While it occasionally leans into cliché, Baumbach avoids the easy trap of making this a simple “woe is me” movie star story. Instead, he widens the lens, showing how Jay’s choices ripple outward, shaping the lives of his manager Ron Sukenick, his publicist Liz (Laura Dern) and, perhaps most poignantly, his family. By weaving the story through multiple perspectives, the film paints a layered portrait of an industry that consumes not just the star, but everyone attached to him.
Baumbach also enriches the narrative by cutting between Jay’s present struggles and reflections of his past. One of the film’s standout moments finds Jay in therapy with his daughter Jessica (Riley Keough), a scene that is funny and poignant at the same time.
Clooney delivers a performance that audiences will either find achingly authentic or maddeningly self-absorbed. Jay is flawed, selfish, and often unlikable, but Clooney brings just enough vulnerability to keep him grounded. Furthermore, Baumbach and Emily Mortimer’s script doesn’t grant him an easy redemption. Jay must live with the consequences of his decisions, a choice that makes the film feel more honest than most Hollywood dramas like this one.
Sandler’s turn as Ron is simply wonderful. Balanced between humor and restraint, it’s a role that lets him flex his comedic and dramatic muscles sometimes in one scene. Ron is likable and deeply loyal, a man who has gone above and beyond for Jay throughout their relationship. Sandler makes Ron so easy to root for too. His chemistry with Clooney adds a real layer of depth to the film’s emotional core. I think it is very likely that Sandler will receive multiple supporting actor nominations for this performance as he is in a lot of ways just as crucial to the story as Jay Kelly is.
This leads me to Billy Crudup, who all but steals the film as Timothy, Jay’s former acting buddy. His limited screen time doesn’t diminish his impact; his monologue on method acting is bound to become one of the year’s most talked-about scenes. It is also proof that “there are no small parts, only small actors.”
That said, Jay Kelly isn’t without missteps. The train purse-snatching sequence, in which Jay heroically chases down a thief with an entire crowd following him into a random field, feels contrived and tonally at odds with the rest of the film. There are also several secondary characters that feel underdeveloped despite being introduced with promise, only to be dropped abruptly. These issues didn’t really hurt the film but they do keep it from reaching true greatness.
Ultimately, Baumbach has crafted a sharp, emotionally resonant story about the cost of life in the spotlight. For those inside the industry, it may feel uncomfortably familiar, even prompting some hard reflections on personal choices and past relationships. Ranking just behind Marriage Story, Jay Kelly stands as one of Baumbach’s most compelling and best works to date.
Grade: 8/10
Awards Buzz: Adam Sandler is definitely in the running for Best Supporting Actor. I can see Noah Baumbach getting nominated for screenplay. Personally, I would love to see Billy Crudup nominated for Best Supporting Actor alongside Sandler. I don’t know how confident I feel yet about Picture or Actor as I still have a lot of films to see but either one seem possible, especially with SAG voters and Academy Voters, who will likely really connect with the film.
