FILM REVIEW
JAY KELLY
Rated R
132 Minutes
Released in Select Theatres November 14th, Streaming on Netflix December 5th
When I looked at the cast list before I saw the film Jay Kelly, I thought, “Oh, no! this is going to be a flash mob of a cast of thousands, and none of those faces are going to have a story.” Was I wrong! Every person in this film is memorable, even the many extras who have no lines jump off the screen. George Clooney IS “Jay Kelly,” and that’s not just hype, it’s obvious that when they wrote the story writer/director Noah Baumbach and writer/actress Emily Mortimer had George Clooney’s life in mind, although the real Clooney has managed his life far better than Jay Kelly. Even the names George Clooney and Jay Kelly are similar in tone.
The script is very well written and gives all the actors the freedom to assimilate thoroughly into their roles, and the film is beautifully shot. The visuals, music and editing give it an easy flow and add to the pathos and angst carrying the narrative. This is not static storytelling. It feels like you yourself are in the film living the life of Jay Kelly. Many of the people in this movie will remind you of friends or family, and their relationships are complex and passionate. It’s very well cast, especially the role of megastar Jay Kelly’s daughter, as Riley Keough has a precise understanding of that character, being herself the granddaughter of the late con Elvis Presley.
Clooney was born in Lexington KY and grew up mostly in Ohio and Kentucky. His mom was a beauty queen and dad, brother of singer Rosemary Clooney, was a TV anchor and host. Young Clooney never thought about being an actor. He was a baseball player and even tried out for the Cincinnati Reds. After his cousin got him a small role in a feature film, George became intrigued with acting. He booked several small roles on TV shows and then impressed the casting directors of ER who offered him the lead role of “Dr. Doug Rosson.”
He began to book starring roles in feature films while playing Rosson. In 2002 Clooney directed his first feature, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and founded his first production company. He has since produced and starred in some of the best films of recent history and has been nominated for and won many awards. Throughout his career, Clooney has used his fame for admirable purposes, fighting for peace throughout the world, to mitigate nation conflicts, and to help impoverished peoples and victims of disasters. Many of his films address political conflict and promote peaceful solutions to war and poverty.
Writer/director Baumbach was born in Brooklyn, the son of two film critics. He made his first film, Kicking and Screaming, at the age of 26, about his college experience. His acclaimed film The Squid and the Whale was based on his parents’ separation. He was co-author with Greta Gerwig, of Margot at the Wedding and Frances Ha, and he often co-writes with good friend, director Wes Anderson. He also writes humor columns in The New Yorker magazine. Baumbach’s themes return repeatedly to stories about people who have an image of themselves that they can’t live up to. In Jay Kelly, that image has completely consumed the life of the main character.
The style of this movie is like a cinematic epic poem – a story played like a symphony. The train speeding through the landscape presents an allegory for life and the constant chase mirrors the desperate pursuit of the seemingly unattainable. I’ve rarely seen a film about the entertainment business that is so on point about relationships and the nature of an in-demand actor’s life balance, or imbalance. The story relates to any type of artist who needs to devote a major part of their life to their work, and who chooses to do so, in the process causing those close to them to suffer through their obsession with their craft.
I saw this movie with a theatre full of SAG actors who were rolling in the aisles at the images of this truthful portrayal of an actor’s life, which those who are not living it believe to be the “Hollywood dream.” We all recognized the sharp truths that are portrayed about auditions and the seemingly unforgiving atmosphere of the casting room, even though casting directors always want each actor to win.
Watch for the great scenes shot at Chez Jay, Santa Monica’s most fabled celebrity hang since 1959.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
