"Jay Kelly" Looks Back at His Life

George Clooney & Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly

Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly is the memory-driven story of the title character, an old school movie actor portrayed by George Clooney. Jay is working on his latest film, but suddenly abandons the project in order to follow his daughter Daisy to Italy, where he plans to spend time with her, and also attend a retrospective event devoted to his film career. While traveling, Jay begins to recall incidents from throughout his life, and examines his relationships with the people around him, including his friend and long-time manager, Ron, played by Adam Sandler.

While the film is centered on Jay Kelly, it's definitely the story of the people in his orbit, who have all been affected by the choices he's made. He often chose his career over his personal life, and those choices have had reprecussions in his professional and personal life. In some ways, the real Jay is a mystery, while his public persona, driven by his natural charm, is perceived by his fans to be his real self. The fateful journey to Italy also prompts those around Jay to share some hard truths with him, as they provide some hard truths, and even resentments regarding what they've sacrificed to work for him. His publicist Liz, portrayed by Laura Dern, quits midway though the trip, after an incident with a friend from the early days of Jay's career comes back to haunt him.

Clooney brings his considerable star power and charisma to the role of Jay, but there's a deliberate mystery about the character. We don't delve too deeply into what drives him until the climax of the film. Some of the strongest moments in the movie belong to the supporting characters, especially Adam Sandler's Roy, whose presence serves as a catalyst to Jay, prompting moments of conflict, confession, humor and finally, love and understanding between the two men. Sandler has never been better, and the rest of the cast, including Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keogh and Stacy Keach, also offer superb performances.

Noah Baumbach's direction is strong, as usual, and the screenplay, which he co-wrote with actress Emily Mortimer, does offer some trenchant observations about movie stars and the cult of celebrity. Jay Kelly is entertaining, well acted and produced, but like its central character, its utlimate truths remain a bit elusive. The film is currently streaming on Netflix. Here's a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8GbcVkqZwQ.

Let Me Drive The Van: Cool Power Punk Vibes

I recently posted about this fantastic record elsewhere, but I wanted to share this info here on my blog as well. If there's a music fan in your life, and you're looking for the perfect holiday gift, or if you're a music buff, and you'd like to listen to some awesome tunes, as well as support a good cause, please check out Decade by Let Me Drive The Van. Decade is an album of fabulous songs and demos from the talented Elaine DiMasi and Tom Spademan, a duo whose power pop meets post-punk sound radiates some very cool vibes. You'll dig great tunes like "Stars Already Gone" and "Little Lanterns," which are just two of the 30 tracks included on this fabulous release.

The album is available from bandcamp, and all proceeds from individual track and album sales will be donated to Open Medicine Foundation, a group which supports ME/CFS Research in their work to find a cure for ME/CFS and Long COVID, which are life-altering illnesses. Check out Let Me Drive The Van and Decade by following this link: https://letmedrivethevan.bandcamp.com/album/let-me-drive-the-van-decade.

Life, Love, Loss and Memorable Mix Tapes

If you've ever made a mix tape for someone you care about, or connected with that person through a shared love of music, then Rob Sheffield's Love Is A Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time will definitely resonate with you. The book tells the story of Sheffield's relationship, with his wife, Renée, how music brought them together, and also how music helped him cope with losing her, after her sudden death from a pulmonary embolism.

Each section of the book is preceded by a list of the songs from a mix tape that was an integral part of their time together. As Sheffield details the story of his and Renée's time as a couple, the music on those tapes becomes a soundtrack to their courtship and marriage, and deeply illustrates the integral part music played in their lives. Reading Love Is A Mix Tape makes you feel like you're having an intimate conversation with Sheffield about life, love, loss, memories, music and of course, creating the perfect mix tape.

The book resonates with me because of my own experiences with my late wife, as music and mix tapes played a large part in our lives as well. I met Gloria when she was the roommate of a colleague of mine. My heart was mending after a bad breakup, and she made me laugh with dead on barbs aimed at my ex, who had unceremoniously dumped me. We also bonded over our musical favorites, including The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen. I later made her a mix tape featuring songs from her George Harrison (her favorite Beatle) and some other music I knew she'd like on the opposite side. That was the first of many mix tapes I made her, and soon after, we started dating. As it did for Rob and Renée, music became an integral part of our life together, and like Rob, I lost my spouse far too soon.

Sheffield writes about how a song on a mix tape can carry a memory, a moment, or define a person, and I know exactly what he means. I can’t hear “Here Comes the Sun” or “Thunder Road” without feeling my wife’s love for, or connection to, those songs. Sheffield's mixes for Renée, like mine for Gloria, were love letters disguised as playlists. Love Is A Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time is a moving, powerful, and emotional memoir, which captures the joys of love, and charts the uneven rhythms of grief. Sheffield deftly moves from humor to heartbreak to nostalgia, because that’s how memory works when you think about someone you love.

A contributing editor at Rolling Stone, Sheffield has written several excellent books, including Dreaming The Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and The Whole World, but I think the powerful, moving, bittersweet, yet ultimately hopeful Love Is A Mix Tape is perhaps his best work. There is a sequel to Love Is A Mix Tape, entitled Turn Around Bright Eyes, about how singing karaoke helped Rob heal again, how he started a new chapter in life, and found new love. I look forward to reading that one soon. But if you want to read a compelling story about how music becomes embedded into our lives, and is deeply woven into the fabric of our relationships, seek out Love Is A Mix Tape.