George Clooney is stellar as a movie legend and Adam Sandler impresses as his loyal manager in Netflix’s meta Hollywood dramedy “Jay Kelly.”

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George Clooney reflects on fame and the ‘Jay Kelly’ what-if story

George Clooney reflects on fame, failure, and a life lesson from his dad about chasing forever through movies.

“Jay Kelly” might be the closest thing we ever get to “George Clooney: The Movie.”

Director Noah Baumbach’s bittersweet dramedy (★★★½ out of four; rated R; in select theaters now, streaming on Netflix Dec. 5) is another of his signature tales tackling human relationships, regrets and foibles. This one just happens to feature Clooney playing the most famous movie star in the world in the twilight of his career. (A real stretch, right?)

But this Jay Kelly fellow realizes, perhaps too late, that he’s set aside those closest to him for the sake of his work. It’s a very meta Hollywood version of “A Christmas Carol,” with Clooney brandishing both his signature grin and palpable gravitas as a man shown the consequences of his existence not via ghosts but his own conscience.

Jay’s a living legend who’s just finished one movie and is prepping to move to another when he finds out that he won’t be able to spend time with his youngest daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards), who’s leaving early for a European trip with friends before heading off to college. That, combined with the death of his filmmaking mentor Peter (Jim Broadbent) and a hostile run-in with drama school pal Timothy (Billy Crudup), leaves Jay spinning.

He decides to follow her to France and Italy, where he’s to receive a life-achievement tribute at a film festival (after initially turning it down). The news dismays his already stressed-out manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist Liz (Laura Dern), whose personal lives for years have revolved around Jay’s career and whims.

But for Jay, the trip is a self-reflective journey that – via flashbacks – finds him looking back on core memories, like the fateful audition that led to his big break and the love that got away, and seeing with real perspective the way he’s affected people’s lives. And not always for the better. 

It’s Clooney’s most poignant role in some time, and one he was bred, if not born, to play. There’s a lot of inside baseball Hollywood stuff that Baumbach plays for laughs – for example, every time Jay’s greeted with a piece of cheesecake in a trailer or at an event, his soul dies a little. But the A-lister goes to some emotional places as Jay struggles to reconnect with his oldest daughter Jessica (Riley Keough) and even watches his career literally flash in front of his eyes.

Crudup’s fabulous as Timothy, especially one knockout scene involving a hilariously dramatic reading of a menu and a sudden character turn. Dern’s as sturdy as ever as a no-nonsense flack navigating too much actual nonsense, and Sandler turns in one of his better performances as the most put-upon guy in Jay’s entourage. The comedian’s more restrained than usual, yet he wields a quiet power as Ron believes he’s been an extremely loyal friend while Jay treats random fans and strangers on a train with more respect.

How do we make the most of a life where we don’t have multiple takes to get it right? Baumbach’s best films – “Marriage Story,” “The Squid and the Whale” – have a way of finding universal understanding by exploring relatable scenarios like divorce or dysfunctional families.

What he does impressively with “Jay Kelly” (cowritten with actress Emily Mortimer) is let us all into the inner workings of Hollywood star using Clooney’s own super-celebrity almost as a character in the movie. That rich premise, with such an intriguing main character, leads to a bit of an unavoidable letdown when there’s not more insightful flashbacks and parts of Jay’s backstory are left unexplored.

Boosted by Clooney and Sandler, “Jay Kelly” is a superb character study about not waiting too long to start living. Or, knowing when it’s time to stop and enjoy the cheesecake.

How long is the ‘Jay Kelly’ movie?

“Jay Kelly,” starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, has a run time of 132 minutes. In select theaters now and streaming on Netflix Dec. 5, the dramedy is rated R by the Motion Picture Association “for language.”