Noah Baumbach's largest film in cast and scale isn't his best work or even close, but certainly one of his most ambitious. George Clooney stars as the titular Hollywood actor seeking to reconcile with his daughters as he is about to be given a lifetime achievement honor in Europe. Jay's relationship with his manager Ron is the film's real heart here, with Adam Sandler not only stealing the entire film but giving one of the best performances of his entire career. Ron is torn between his devotion to his client and dear friend, and the heartache of missing out on time with his wife and kids. Sandler gives the character a dimensional charm, conflict, and vulnerability. Laura Dern is also outstanding as Jay's publicist, also frustrated as she's desperately trying to fulfill the impossible role of chasing Jay around and covering for him.
Many other familiar faces give very strong performances here, although Baumbach's directing here stands out even more than his writing this time around. The film's approach to memory and distance is very interesting, as is the idea of this "king" finally spending time with ordinary people who perceive him as a legend of sorts. However, the main storyline between Jay and his daughters doesn't quite have the emotional weight that's needed, with the themes being a bit too obvious and the film just lacking enough screen time with his youngest daughter to feel the way the movie wants us to about the main father-daughter relationship here. A performance moment and line delivery from Clooney in the film's final moments, however, elevates the entire film and brings the themes full circle, even if it takes that long for them to really hit hard. Jay Kelly doesn't live up to the excellence of Baumbach's best storytelling like Marriage Story, but is still big yet introspective, with Clooney and Sandler standing out together, and the latter's performance resonating in particular.
Rating: ★★★½
Review by: Gal balaban