Before the camera at the 1996 movie junket I was on began rolling for my interview with actor George Clooney for the film “From Dusk Till Dawn,” he and I were talking about Buffalo.
Clooney grew up in a Kentucky suburb of metro Cincinnati in what would now most assuredly be called a media-savvy family. His father, Nick Clooney, was a newspaper columnist, TV newsman, and local television talk show host. George’s aunt, Rosemary Clooney, was the popular singing star who found another level of fame on radio and in the movies.
The elder Mr. Clooney even worked as a television anchorman in Buffalo at WGRZ-TV in 1994 and eventually wrote a wonderfully insightful book titled: “The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections On The Screen.” I was doing entertainment reporting and movie reviews for WIVB-TV and had a number of occasions to talk to Nick as our paths crossed in metro Buffalo-Niagara. We also had a pleasant chat one afternoon on a flight to Los Angeles. At the dawn of cable television, Nick was even a host on AMC when it was a channel that showed only movies, and without interruptions at that. I had a signed copy of Nick’s book, which someone borrowed and never returned. This is why I never lend out books anymore.
While his father worked in Buffalo, George would visit his parents on many occasions. I’ve written before that my experience with the Clooney men bears out the fact that George has “an instinctive understanding of the expressive nature of motion pictures; their ability, when done well, to tell engaging stories. He grew up surrounded by a historical sense of show business. For him, old-fashioned is not a negative. It’s something to be applauded and respected.”
There are times when interviewing notable people, and I’ve talked to many hundreds of stars and directors, a comfortable feeling settles in. You recognize that the bond of family – both mine and the subject’s – is a strong guiding light for a productive conversation. George’s family helped make him a good actor and a friendly and principled personality.
Clooney has been acting in films and on television since 1983. He turned 64 in May. He also directs, writes, and produces. Perhaps it is a bit premature to have taken a look back at his career, but thhis he has done with the new movie, “Jay Kelly.” It is not a documentary, but rather a fictional examination of a world-famous actor who is asked by some Italian cinema buffs in Tuscany to accept a tribute award. Clooney plays Kelly, and the request comes at a perfect time for him. He has just finished shooting a new movie and his youngest daughter Daisy (nicely acted by Grace Edwards) will be going to college. He would like to spend some time with her before she goes to school, but she is heading to Europe with her friends. Jay, who has previously turned down the honor, quickly decides to accept it.
Because of the award, the movie is wrapped in a career retrospective blanket. “Jay Kelly” has elements of two other features about a famous film personality who is taking a look back: Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” and Woody Allen’s “Stardust Memories.” Referencing these two very good movies by legendary directors is a positive comment. Because of Clooney and a superb supporting cast, the picture holds its own in the arena of reminiscing. The performers are aided expertly by director Noah Baumbach and the screenplay he co-wrote with Emily Mortimer, who is also well-known as an excellent actress, including having appeared in Allen’s masterful romantic thriller “Match Point.”
“Jay Kelly,” which is streaming on Netflix after a couple of weeks in theaters, has surefire road trip appeal. We begin on the set of a production in progress on a Los Angeles studio lot. We then move on to Kelly’s gilded mansion, where anything he needs is provided by staff within seconds (there is a good visual laugh that is also repeated later). Soon we’re on a private jet, and then we’re riding on a train from Paris to Tuscany, with a wonderfully comic ensemble of passengers. Is that really the famous actor Jay Kelly taking something as common as a European train? You bet it is. The writing is clever and the laughs are genuine.
Jay’s travels to the Tuscan countryside include an entourage that befits his status as a superstar. Along for the previously unscheduled adventure is his longtime manager, Ron (Adam Sandler). Accompanying Jay means spending time away from his own family, which becomes problematic. Also with Jay in Europe are his displeased publicist, Liz (Laura Dern), a hair and makeup person (Mortimer, again), as well as a social media specialist, who really knows how to get clicks, and a bodyguard who not only provides protection, but also attends to some of Jay’s general needs. Other cast members include Stacy Keach, Billy Crudup, Josh Hamilton, Eve Hewson, Patrick Wilson, and Greta Gerwig.
Kelly is rarely, if ever, alone. However, he still has deep thoughts about the path he has chosen for his life. He’s been affected by the recent death of a mentor and colleague, a director from early in his career, played by Jim Broadbent, who was very important to him. A nicely accomplished trick of the film is that as Jay revisits his past, we cleverly and meaningfully go back in time with him. These moments of memory are inserted expertly as the story progresses. Jay becomes more and more concerned about the choices he has made to advance his career. Did he miss out on living a life he might have enjoyed better, including regarding his older daughter Jessica, played by Riley Keough?
No one in the “Jay Kelly” cast, from Clooney to the delightful extras, is anything but exceptional. In fact, Clooney’s performance glides so smoothly from affable to melancholy that an Oscar nomination is deserved. The scenery is spectacular, which makes sense because beautiful Tuscan villages such as Arezzo, Montecatini Terme, and Chianciano Terme play themselves. Linus Sandren’s cinematography is sublime and Valerie Bonelli and Rachel Durance deliver crisp film editing. Production values are excellent. “Jay Kelly” is an invaluable movie about feeling fulfilled by one’s accomplishments and how to come to terms with any regrets. Regarding the film’s realistic ending, I think it’s perfect.