Famous actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) has just wrapped on his latest film when he hears the news that the director who began his illustrious career has died. At the funeral he is given some unvarnished home truths from an old friend he studied acting with triggering a journey of introspection on what he has achieved with his life. 

Supported by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler), Jay sets out through France and Italy trying to connect with one of his daughters as he heads towards a ceremony where he will receive a lifetime achievement award. Along the way Jay will step into his memories and revisit key decisions and moments in his life relating to his career, his relationships and his children. As his staff slowly abandon him throughout the journey Jay weighs whether his achievements were worth the emotional wreckage he left along the way. 

Jay Kelly is a film that I was looking forward to immensely and even as I write the synopsis above and think about small moments in the film itself I consider just how brilliant it could be. It features a typically restrained performance from Clooney who perfectly encapsulates the idea of a revered actor towards the end of his career. There are even playful lines in the film about how some actors only play themselves, but that actually that is incredibly hard to do. The idea of an actor having to both pretend in their job and in their persona as a movie star resulting in them losing themselves is incredibly intriguing. It also has Adam Sandler in another dramatic role, something I think he has always delivered in but seems to be getting better and better with as he ages. But, and I say this with a heavy heart. The film Jay Kelly is not as good as the sum of its parts. 

Running at 132 minutes long it regularly loses momentum and impetus. Every now and then it lights up with a memory that Jay literally walks into and watches or with an intriguing revelation or argument. But then meanders and languishes in moments that feel repetitious in their goals. 

Jay Kelly himself is actually the opposite of most Clooney roles. Someone who is unlikeable. A man who thinks his friends are actually just his staff whom he treats badly. A man so wrapped up in his own insecurities he is oblivious to the feelings of those around him. It is a great performance of a star wrapped in their own bubble unable to see out. But combine this with the loss of momentum mentioned above and it becomes frustrating spending time with him. There are moments of revelation before we have to watch him not learning from his mistakes again. 

There is also a large array of stars prepared to turn up for small cameos for Noah Baumbach’s latest film including Laura Dern, Isla Fisher, Billy Crudup, Emily Mortimer (who co-wrote the script with Baumbach), Eve Hewson, Riley Keough, Greta Gerwig (Baumbach’s partner), Jim Broadbent, Stacy Keach and Patrick Wilson. Some of them make a great impact in their small roles, here’s looking at Crudup, Broadbent and Hewson, whilst others seem incongruous in the way they disappear from the story unceremoniously. 

To cap the disappointment of what might have been the film delivers an emotional final scene with a killer final line. 

Jay Kelly is a disappointment. But one with great moments.