This Film Might Finally Earn Adam Sandler an Oscar Nomination. It Made Me Cry.

Can we try that one more time? asks Jay Kelly (George Clooney), a celebrated actor filming a scene in which his character meets a violent end in a rain-soaked alley on a studio set. I think I can improve it. These lines, opening Noah Baumbachs Jay Kelly, quickly become a poignant motif throughout the film.

Jay, a superstar with decades of fame behind him, reaches an age where reflection on past choices becomes inevitable. Unlike most people, though, he does this while surrounded by a private jet, housekeepers, chefs, stylists, and assistants, all buffering him from lifes direct consequences. Even a man not prone to introspection, as noted by his former acting teacher, begins to confront mortality when his first mentor in the film industryplayed in flashbacks by Jim Broadbentpasses away.

At the funeral, an old rival from acting school, Timothy (Billy Crudup, brilliant in his brief scene), resurfaces, giving Jay a complicated chance to face the ambitious, morally flexible young actor he once was. Prompted by this encounter, Jay spontaneously flies to Europe with his entourage. Ostensibly attending a lifetime achievement ceremony in Tuscany, hes primarily motivated to surprise his daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards) during her pre-college backpacking trip. Jay also has an older daughter, Jessica (Riley Keough), who still harbors resentment for his absence during her childhood.

Much of the story unfolds on a train journey from Paris to Tuscany with Jays long-suffering team: his manager Ron (Adam Sandler), publicist Liz (Laura Dern), hairstylist Candy (Emily Mortimer, who co-wrote the script), and other staff. When forced into a crowded standard-class carriage, Jay charms fellow passengers, though by the time they arrive in Italy, most of his entourage has left. Ron remains, having sacrificed decades of personal life to support Jays career.

At the Tuscan gala, tensions rise with the arrival of Jays demanding elderly father (Stacy Keach), revealing the personal costs behind Jay Kellys worldwide fame. Sandler shines in these moments, portraying Rons quiet frustration and weariness with depth and subtlety. While Clooneys real-life trajectory differs, the fictional story of a middle-aged star with children from two marriages parallels Baumbachs own experiences, with subtle autobiographical undertones throughout the narrative.

Jay Kelly nods to cinematic history, drawing inspiration from Fellinis La Dolce Vita and 8, as well as paying homage to Franois Truffaut and Preston Sturges. Though the story may highlight the comparatively trivial struggles of a wealthy celebrity, Baumbach presents them with warmth and elegance. Linus Sandgrens cinematography captures the bittersweet opulence of Jays life, while Nicholas Britells lush score underscores moments of classic-Hollywood irony.

The films flashbacks, featuring the younger Jay (Charlie Rowe), allow exploration of past ambitions and sacrificed relationships. These sequences are crafted to show the older Jay observing and reacting, giving Clooney moments to act subtly and reflectively. Though divisive as a director, Baumbachs approach here leans into a more humanistic and tender tone than in some of his previous works.

Despite a slightly stretched final act, the concluding scene is deeply moving. Clooney and Sandler watch a montage of Jays cinematic history, tracing the evolution from young heartthrob to seasoned star. The montage, reportedly the first time Clooney saw the clips, evokes a universal feeling of nostalgia and reflection: seeing ones past, contemplating what could have been, and wondering if a second chance could do it better.

Author: Benjamin Carter