I've often maintained that the worst thing a movie can do is feel predictable, and closely connected to that is a lack of originality. Those are precisely the issues that hold back writer-director Noah Baumbach’s newest film. At its core, the story follows its own important title character—George Clooney—a successful but aging actor who begins to realize his life has passed him by, leaving him with regrets both professionally and personally, many stemming from damaged relationships. Through a series of flashbacks (and what feels like an excessive amount of pointless fretting that’s easily ignored), he seems to recognize for the first time how he's wasted years and pushed away people who mattered, ultimately feeling empty inside. The concept—a privileged Los Angeles celebrity experiencing a late-life crisis and awkwardly searching for purpose—isn't exactly new territory. We’ve seen variations of this before in films like “All That Jazz” (1979), “Stardust Memories” (1980) (and its source, “8½” (1963)), “Bardo” (2022), and “Birdman” (2014). So what does "Jay Kelly" bring to the table? Unfortunately, nothing. And to compound matters, it doesn't even handle this familiar storyline very well; those earlier films did a far better job with it. It’s hard to find anything likable—or even relatable—in any of the characters, leaving audiences feeling indifferent and thinking “So what?” The main character himself isn’t engaging, seeming like a collection of Clooney's previous roles, which comes across as an obvious celebration of his career set against a backdrop of shallowness and intrusive product placement. Ironically, the most compelling figures are the supporting players—an old acting school friend (Billy Crudup) and the director who launched Kelly’s career (Jim Broadbent). However, these characters are given minor roles with limited screen time. The supporting character who gets the most attention is Kelly's manager (Adam Sandler), a forgettable and unimportant performer who could have been cut without making any difference. Ultimately, the whole thing feels so superficial and stereotypical of Los Angeles that it’s difficult to invest in it at all, despite its attempts to appear profound. It’s a disappointment for both Clooney and Baumbach; they are capable of much better work than this. The real tragedy here might be their uninspired contribution to this derivative project.

Source on TMDB