CLOONEY ACCLAIMED, SANDLER UNEXPECTED
At the Venice Film Festival, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly was greeted with mixed reactions. The film split critics: on one side, the Times and Vulture raved , calling it a “role of a lifetime” and George Clooney’s best performance; on the other, the Guardian and Time panned it, calling it self-indulgent, sentimental, and suffocated by too much nostalgia. In between, voices like Cadena SER highlighted its emotional sincerity and poignant themes of identity and fatherhood.
The divide is clear: the film as a whole is divided among critics, but Clooney’s performance is almost unanimous. Many are calling it an intense performance, capable of chipping away at his public image to reveal a fragile and authentic face; some have even suggested he could be a contender for an Oscar.
Alongside him, the real surprise is Adam Sandler. Far from the comedic roles that made him famous, here he plays a manager with restraint and restraint who becomes a mirror and human counterpoint to the protagonist. His discreet presence, blended with grace and melancholy, is what allows Clooney’s mask to truly slip. No longer the “buffoon” of American comedy, but a performer capable of bringing a new and unexpected humanity to the film.
The other actors, from Billy Crudup to Laura Dern, remain in more peripheral roles, confirming the film’s foundations in the Clooney-Sandler relationship. Yet off-screen, lightheartedness prevailed: on the red carpet, Clooney acted as a photographer, while Sandler responded with a wry grimace that thrilled the audience. It was a scene that went viral, reminding us how cinema lives even in the simplest gestures.
And it is precisely here that the film resonates with our times. Jay Kelly tells the story of a man forced to wear the mask the world demands of him, while someone at his side, with simplicity, reveals his vulnerability. It’s the same conflict we face today. We live in an age that demands happiness as a duty. Smiling, showing accomplishment, always appearing to be a winner: a script that accompanies us everywhere, from social media to daily relationships. But this forced happiness is a thin, fragile mask, and when it cracks, an even deeper void emerges.
Authentic strength comes from allowing yourself to not be happy on demand. Stopping acting doesn’t mean giving up, but rather embracing reality with greater honesty. What remains, once the makeup is removed, is less perfect but more real. It’s not about appearing: it’s about being. With dignity, even in the face of hardship.
Alessandro Sicuro
Brand Strategist | Photographer | Art Director | Project Manager
Alessandro Sicuro Comunication
Sure-com America 