'Jay Kelly' counts the costs of movie stardom

George Clooney's character goes on an affecting journey of self-discovery.

- Regiene MARK OLSEN

FILM star George Clooney explores the inner life of a film star in Noah Baumbach's latest movie, “Jay Kelly.”

(PETER MOUNTAIN Netflix)

What is a movie star? In the most obvious sense, it is someone famous for starring in movies. But it is also a person who becomes a repository for the dreams and aspirations of countless unknown other people, anonymous audiences who can transform the object of all that attention into something of a blank slate.

Which leads to separate questions: Who is a movie star, what kind of person would want such an existence in the first place and what kind of effect does it have on their inner life? The new film “Jay Kelly” grapples with the personal and emotional toll of stardom, but perhaps its greatest feat is that it never feels purely like a product of indulgent Hollywood narcissism.

The latest movie from director Noah Baumbach, co-written this time by Emily Mortimer, “Jay Kelly” never loses sight of the core humanity of its lead character even as it explores the strange rituals of a life lived with a manager, a publicist and a security guard constantly nearby.

It is also to the film's great benefit that the lead character, a longtime movie star named Jay Kelly, is played by longtime movie star George Clooney.

The role neatly utilizes Clooney’s gifts for physical comedy, verbal dexterity and conveying inner torment.