George Clooney’s performance in his upcoming film, Jay Kelly, is already hitting the headlines. The film was premiered on August 28 at the Venice Film Festival and his performance has earned him early Oscar buzz. The film even received an overwhelming 8-10 minute standing ovation at Venice.
Jay Kelly, a coming-of-age comedy-drama, directed by Noah Baumbach and co-written with Emily Mortimer, stars George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern and Billy Crudup in the lead roles.
It is about the friendship between a famous veteran actor (played by George) and his manager (played by Adam), who together, travel through Europe and think about their life choices, relationships, and what they will be remembered for.
A hugely successful actor playing one on screen, might not seem like a challenge, but George’s performance goes much deeper, revealing the loneliness and emptiness of a man reflecting on the choices he has made in life.
Early reviews are mixed to positive (raves to pans). The Times praised the actor’s performance by saying “Oscar alert! George Clooney’s best performance yet,” noting “probably his best screenwork.”
The Telegraph gave the film five stars, calling it a “mid-life crisis masterpiece” and praising Noah and Emily for their “terrifically smart script.”
However, not everyone was impressed with the film. The Guardian gave it one star and called it a “wildly sentimental and self-indulgent piece of cine-narcissism,” while The Hollywood Reporter gave mixed review.
Clooney missed the press conference/earlier promo due to a sinus infection, but attended the red-carpet premiere. At the Venice Film Festival press conference, Adam called the script a gift.
