Movie Review

Top-notch cast goes on cross-Atlantic ocean voyage in Let Them All Talk

Director Steven Soderbergh has had one of the more interesting careers in Hollywood. He started out as an indie darling, transitioned into more mainstream fare, and then decided to use his clout to make whatever types of films fit his fancy, but now with the pull to fill those films with casts that would be enviable for any filmmaker.

His latest output is Let Them All Talk, the type of talky, non-plot-driven film that few other filmmakers even attempt, much less make into a winner. Alice (Meryl Streep) is a famous literary author who has been invited to accept an award in Europe. Trouble is, she’s reticent to fly, so her agency arranges for her, her best friends Susan and Roberta (Dianne Wiest and Candice Bergen), and her nephew Tyler (Lucas Hedges) to make the crossing on the ocean liner the Queen Mary 2.

The trip brings up a variety of feelings for each member of the party, including anxiety over her new manuscript by Alice, long-held contempt for Alice by Roberta, and a much-needed escape for Susan. Tyler serves as a sounding board for all of them at one point or another, but he also finds himself being drawn more and more to Karen (Gemma Chan), Alice’s literary agent who is on the ship unbeknownst to Alice.

Filmed during an actual crossing made by the ship, the film has an authenticity to it that’s hard to beat. Little of the film feels artificial or Hollywood-ized, as each of the characters is shown doing what most of us would do on a cruise ship: Eat a lot, drink, swim, gamble, play games, sleep, and repeat.

Of course, the trip itself isn’t the point; it’s the conversations that are had throughout that drive the film. Alice, at least in the minds of her friends, has changed a lot since they first met, becoming aloof and judgmental, especially when she sees that a popular mystery writer is also on board. Susan and Roberta are tentative and deferential when the trip begins, but hold nothing back toward the end.

Even as they hash things out, other things remain hiding under the surface. Soderbergh and writer Deborah Eisenberg gave the framework for the film, but they also let the actors improvise most of the material. Not all of it works, but the effort adds to the realness of the film. Late revelations give extra meaning to earlier talks, adding to the emotion of the film as a whole.

If you’re going to trust any cast to pass the test of making a movie on a working ocean liner, it’s this one. Streep leads the way as a three-time Oscar winner and 21-time nominee, but Wiest (two wins, three nominations), Bergen (one Oscar nomination, five Emmy wins), and Hedges (one Oscar nomination) are more than worthy supporting actors. Chan, who impressed in Crazy Rich Asians, is even better here, and with a prime part in Marvel’s Eternals coming up, she’s primed to be a breakout star.

There’s nothing flashy about Let Them All Talk, and that’s for the best. Soderbergh has let his award-worthy cast do what they do best, and they deliver an engaging story that lives up to its unique setting.

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Let Them All Talk debuts on HBO Max on December 10.

Meryl Streep in Let Them All Talk.

Meryl Streep in Let Them All Talk

Photo courtesy of HBO Max

Meryl Streep in Let Them All Talk.

Movie Review

George Clooney shines in Jay Kelly, a sharp and heartfelt look at fame

George Clooney in Jay Kelly

Photo by Peter Mountain/Netflix

George Clooney in Jay Kelly.

The life of a celebrity is paradoxical in that your life is lived in the public eye, yet who you really are is almost unknowable. Movie history is littered with films that try to dig into the private lives of real and fictional actors, with varying results. The latest film to try to unearth what it means to be famous is Jay Kelly.

In a perfect bit of casting, George Clooney stars in the title role as an actor who’s still world famous even if he’s edging toward the downside of his career. His coterie of helpers, including manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist Liz (Laura Dern), make sure he is taken care of at every turn, often anticipating his needs before he realizes it.

A run-in with an old friend, Timothy (Billy Crudup), sends Jay spiraling, questioning not just the meaning of his 35-plus year career, but also his relationships with his two daughters, Jessica (Riley Keough) and Daisy (Grace Edwards). Jay’s attempt to manage the crisis pits his identity as a celebrity and as a father and friend against each other.

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, and co-written by Emily Mortimer (who has a small role), the film has to walk the tightrope of making the audience like Jay even as he does and says things that might make him unlikable. There’s a very thin line between the character of Jay Kelly and the real life George Clooney; each is seemingly infinitely charming when dealing with the public, but they lead very different private lives.

Baumbach takes a light approach to the story, occasionally dipping into more serious territory but never going too deep. For some, this may seem like a copout, as if he’s merely pretending to want to explore what celebrity truly is. But as you see Jay navigate his way between his work, his family, and being out among the public, little details emerge that make him increasingly complex.

A lot of the film’s pleasure comes from the strong actors cast in relatively minor roles. There are not enough words to express what it means to have actors like Jim Broadbent as Jay’s mentor, or Greta Gerwig as Ron’s wife, or Stacy Keach as Jay’s father, or Patrick Wilson as a fellow longtime actor. Each of them and more lend an instant air of excellence to the film that elevates the story beyond its simple premise.

Clooney may be playing a version of himself, but as the film notes on multiple occasions, playing yourself is more difficult than it seems. He is deserving of an Oscar nomination, as is Sandler, who doesn’t give off even a whiff of insincerity as a man who has given perhaps a bit too much of himself in aid of another man’s career.

Jay Kelly is not a world-changing film, and some may accuse it of being another navel-gazing Hollywood story. But the forcefulness of Clooney’s performance, the long line of strong supporting actors, and the subtly effective storytelling by Baumbach and Mortimer (making her feature screenwriting debut) help it become much more than might be expected.

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Jay Kelly is now playing in select theaters. It debuts on Netflix on December 5.

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