150 Word Review: 'Jay Kelly' (2025)
By George!
Director Noah Baumbach, co-writer Emily Mortimer, and George Clooney harness their collective cinematic powers in the final minutes of their dramedy Jay Kelly to make you feel something for the title character, a George–Clooney–like superstar. This effort proves successful; I quietly blubbered despite myself. It’s a surprise outcome, too, since most of the movie is a remarkably unoriginal, tone-deaf examination of a celebrity at midlife. If there’s one thing that captures the American attention, it’s the neuroses of the rich and famous.
It brings me no pleasure to report Jay Kelly is a bore for most of its running time, until a manipulative, but, as I’ve established, triumphant emotional climax where Clooney confronts Clooney. Everyone is likable, especially shaggy, sad-eyed Adam Sandler as Jay Kelley’s long-suffering manager. Being famous is lonely, and my heart goes out to those who struggle in the spotlight. (Being a lonely nobody isn’t fun either.)
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Yeah, but I'd argue that we saw just as many films about lonely nobodies as we have about superstars. It even surprised me, but I loved Jay Kelly.
I feel the same way about “You’ll never know how hard it is to be a rockstar” songs.