If you’ve ever swooned over movies about the movies, get ready, Jay Kelly might just be your next obsession. With George Clooney, Adam Sandler (in “serious Sandman mode”), and Laura Dern front and centre under the exquisite direction of Noah Baumbach, it’s poised to be a meta’s delight wrapped in existential introspection set against a backdrop of European wanderlust.
You’ve got George Clooney, playing a legendary silver-screen icon who might just be chasing his own mythos. Walking alongside him is Adam Sandler, not as the shtick-laden funny man but as his manager, an anchor in the storm of celebrity. Laura Dern co-writes and adds her layered depth as someone painfully aware of her surroundings. Surrounding this core are heavy hitters like Billy Crudup, Jim Broadbent, Eve Hewson, Riley Keough, and Isla Fisher, a stellar ensemble that promises to pull every nuance from this emotionally-packed narrative.
In what’s described as “micro-doses of self-awareness,” Clooney’s Jay Kelly says his name around various European locales, as Sandler and Dern chime in, prompting smiles, smirks, and that itch to know more about who this man actually is. Though scant on plot, the trailer is rich in possibilities. A blend of Hollywood myth making, personal reckoning, with just enough humour to leaven the existential dread.
This feels Awards-season bound, and for good reason. Clooney deconstructing his silver-screen legacy, Baumbach doing what he does best. Peeling back the layers of fame, and a tone that lands squarely as a drama with laughs, not a comedy-drama. Really! this material leans toward best-actor, best-director and screenplay nods on the horizon.
Jay Kelly hits select cinemas 14 November, before premiering globally on Netflix on 5 December. Theatres first for cinephiles craving that immersive experience, then onto the global stage via streaming, because some existential crises are best shared with popcorn in hand.
