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Baumbach’s Jay Kelly Opens in Limited Release Friday as Early Reviews Spotlight Clooney and Sandler

The Netflix rollout follows on December 5 as critics highlight the film’s meta play with Clooney’s screen persona.

Overview

  • George Clooney and Adam Sandler led the Los Angeles premiere, joined by Noah Baumbach and an ensemble that includes Riley Keough, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Jim Broadbent and Stacy Keach.
  • The film follows a global celebrity reassessing family and legacy during a European trip, foregrounding the dependence and strain within a star’s entourage.
  • Critics largely commend Clooney’s turn and single out Sandler’s performance as the manager Ron, with early awards-season chatter centering on him.
  • Several reviews praise craft but fault the script’s calculated or uneven tone, noting sentimentality in places.
  • A career-tribute sequence repurposes real Clooney clips, and Clooney has stressed the story is not autobiographical.