Jay Kelly: A peculiar film with a heart-swelling finale

The film is about what it means to be famous and what a life in show business takes out of you

- Alissa Wilkinson

The audience best suited to appreciate Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly might be the man who stars in it and who seems to be its reason to exist: George Clooney. (His name’s resemblance to his character’s is surely no coincidence.) Jay appears to be an alternate universe version of Clooney: Both have been called heirs to Clark Gable; both are admirers of Paul Newman; both might be the last of the old-school glamorous movie stars, charmers with a megawatt smile.

But at this point in his life, Clooney is, at least by reputation, a loyal man, one who has many friends, an accomplished wife, small children on whom he is said to dote and an established reputation as an activist and humanitarian. Jay, on the other hand, is a man with a dream life and an empty soul: His entire identity is just being the guy people love from the movies. His successful single-minded pursuit of stardom has cost him relationships with his partners, his daughters and most of his friends. Now, the person closest to him in the world is Ron (Adam Sandler), his manager, who genuinely loves him — not as much as he loves his own wife (Greta Gerwig) and children, but pretty close. To Jay, Ron’s a friend, but the kind who takes 15 per cent of his income.