George Clooney plays the title character in Netflix’s “Jay Kelly,” a Clooney-esque movie star who is seemingly on top of the world — but is, in fact, at a crossroads. He’s finished his latest movie and is at a point in his career where he’s begun to worry that every project could be his last. His hope to spend the summer with his youngest daughter, Daisy, is squashed when he realizes she’s set to travel in Europe before heading off to college in the fall. (Jessica, Jay’s eldest daughter, barely speaks to him.) His mentor, a British director who cast him in his first movie, has recently died; on top of the looming sense of mortality is the guilt Jay feels for not attaching his name to the director’s final project in order to get the financing. And after the funeral, Jay runs into the former friend who brought him to that fateful audition as emotional support — and who remains bitter that Jay got the role and “stole his life.”

Instead of sitting down to process these conflicts, Jay decides to run away from them, dropping out of his next movie to follow Daisy to Europe. His professional entourage — a group that includes his longtime manager and friend Ron (Adam Sandler) and his no-nonsense publicist Liz (Laura Dern) — immediately springs into action, accompanying Jay on a chaotic trip abroad, with the final stop being an Italian film festival where Jay is set to receive a career achievement award.

“I did have an idea of an actor having a crisis of some sort, and it would be a journey forward and backward at the same time,” says writer-director Noah Baumbach of the spark that eventually became “Jay Kelly.” As Jay flees Hollywood, the city and its people continue to haunt him. Visions of himself as a young actor float in and out of his mind as he recognizes the mistakes he made by screwing over his friend and neglecting his older daughter. But no matter where he goes — even on board a crowded train from Paris to Tuscany — he’s instantly recognized as the A-list star that he is. Jay Kelly cannot escape himself no matter how hard he tries.

Laura Dern, George Clooney and Adam Sandler in “Jay Kelly.”

(Peter Mountain / Netflix)

Baumbach wrote “Jay Kelly” with British actor and screenwriter Emily Mortimer, who also appears in the film as Jay’s go-to makeup artist: “It really wasn’t until I brought Emily into it that it started to shape itself more into the movie you see,” Baumbach says.

One might assume that the pair’s years in the business (now in their 50s, Baumbach and Mortimer both got their start in the mid-1990s) informed their depiction of fame and stardom, but Baumbach is adamant that he didn’t set out to write a satire of their industry. “As Emily and I were focusing on the characters and the story, meaning started to reveal itself,” he explains. “Part of our job is to be open and aware of that.”

It tracks that a megastar like Jay would be surrounded by a close-knit circle of people managing his life, which led to Baumbach and Mortimer exploring those complicated relationships. One central storyline is the friendship between Jay and Ron, who have worked together for decades. Despite his devotion to his wife and kids, Ron’s top professional priority is Jay, and the inherently transactional nature of their relationship is a conflict that slowly bubbles up to the surface. There’s simply no getting around the fact that the person Jay is the closest to is also someone who takes 15% of his earnings.

Filmmaker Noah Baumbach.

(Sela Shiloni / For The Times)

It’s an awkward situation that many who work in the entertainment industry will recognize — but it’s also a humorous truth, the kind that underscores all of Baumbach’s films. “Jay Kelly” isn’t his first film set, at least in part, in Los Angeles. In “Greenberg,” Ben Stiller’s title character is a cantankerous and neurotic New Yorker who has fled west after a nervous breakdown. In the autobiographical “Marriage Story,” Adam Driver’s Charlie, a New York-based theater director, finds himself trapped in L.A. during his divorce from his actor wife, Nicole (Scarlett Johansson).

Baumbach, a Brooklyn native, calls his relationship with Los Angeles complex. “It’s a place I don’t always love being in,” he says — a bit of an understatement. But he’s more fascinated than repulsed by the city. “I was never drawn to be satirical about it. I think it’s such an interesting, strange place. [My films that] take place here do so for a reason. With ‘Greenberg,’ L.A. is a metaphor for loneliness. In ‘Marriage Story,’ Charlie is forced to fight for a home outside of where he feels his home is.” And at the end of the day, where else could a star like Jay reside? “I mean, Jay Kelly couldn’t have lived in New York, right?”

There is, of course, show business, an industry that values make-believe and vanity and couldn’t possibly exist anywhere else. “Ron has the line, ‘Death is so surprising, particularly in L.A.,’” Baumbach says, reciting Sandler’s dialogue from early in the film. “[These characters are] living in a place that, for the most part, doesn’t change — and that helps support the collective illusion that we’re all going to live forever.”

Jay Kelly might not, but the movies will.

The Rams are going to the playoffs.

The only questions now: Can they hold onto the No. 1 seed in the NFC and have home-field advantage for the entire postseason. And will receiver Davante Adams be fit for the stretch run?

The Rams clinched a playoff spot on Sunday with a 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions before 74,701 at SoFi Stadium in a game that featured Adams’ fourth-quarter departure because of a left hamstring injury.

Matthew Stafford outdueled Jared Goff, Puka Nacua continued his torrid receiving pace and the Rams defense shut down the Lions in the second half as the Rams improved their record to 11-3 and ensured their seventh playoff appearance under ninth-year coach Sean McVay.

It was a huge victory for a Rams team that will be tested again Thursday night when they play the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.

The Seahawks (11-3) defeated Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Seattle, setting up the Thursday night showdown. The Rams currently hold the tie-breaker over the Seahawks because of their Nov. 16 victory over the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

Can they capture home field throughout the playoffs for the first time?

They advanced to the Super Bowl in the 2018 and the 2021 seasons without the benefit of playing every playoff game at home.

The Rams finish the regular season with games against the Seahawks, a road trip to Atlanta and a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

As expected, the victory over the Lions (8-6) did not come easy.

The Rams overcame an early interception and 10-point deficit late in the second quarter.

Adams, who has been nursing a hamstring issue, left the field for the locker room and did not return to the game after appearing to suffer an injury early in the fourth quarter.

McVay said Adams’ injury “didn’t look good” and wasn’t sure if Adams would be able to play against the Seahawks.

Stafford came alive in the second half, leading three consecutive scoring drives in the third quarter to give the Rams a 34-24 lead.

Stafford kept alive his drive for the NFL most valuable player award by completing 24 of 38 for 368 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception.

Nacua, coming off a performance against the Arizona Cardinals that earned him NFC offensive player of the week honors, caught nine passes for 181 yards. Adams caught four passes for 71 yards.

Tight end Colby Parkinson caught two touchdown passes, Kyren Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Blake Corum also scored on the ground.

Defensive lineman Kobie Turner had a key sack for a defense that gave up three touchdown passes and several big plays in the first half, but neutralized Goff for most of the second.

Goff and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown started fast and helped the Lions take a 24-17 lead.

Stafford had a hand in that, throwing a ball into the waiting arms of Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who returned the interception 58 yards. On the next play, Goff found St. Brown for a touchdown.

Williams’ two short touchdown runs gave the Rams the lead midway through the second quarter. But Goff connected with St. Brown for a short touchdown and then hit Jameson Williams with a 31-yard scoring pass to put the Lions ahead, 24-14.

The Rams cut the deficit to seven points when Harrison Mevis closed the first half with a field goal.

The Rams opened the second half with another field goal to cut the Lions’ lead to four points.

The defense then forced the Lions to go three and out, forcing them to punt for the first time.

Stafford put the Rams ahead with a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson to give the Rams a 27-24 lead.

Turner’s sack of Goff helped set up another punt, and it took Stafford only 52 seconds to engineer another touchdown. He connected with Nacua for a 39-yard gain, and Blake Corum extended the lead with an 11-yard touchdown run.

The Lions kicked a field goal midway through the fourth quarter to trim the Rams’ lead to seven points, but Stafford’s second touchdown pass to Parkinson gave the Rams a 14-point lead with just under five minutes left.

David Montgomery’s short touchdown run late in the fourth quarter cut the lead back to seven.

Goff completed 25 of 41 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns. St. Brown caught 13 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

French superstar Kylian Mbappe scores on his return from injury to help Real Madrid to a crucial 2-1 win at Alaves.

Kylian Mbappe’s and Rodrygo Goes’s goals earned Real Madrid a tense 2-1 win at Alaves in La Liga to potentially keep coach Xabi Alonso in his job.

Madrid, second, reeled league leaders Barcelona’s advantage back to four points and recorded only their third victory in the last nine games across all competitions.

After a home defeat by Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, Spanish media reported that anything but a victory would cost Alonso his position.

Following Mbappe’s superb opener on Sunday, Carlos Vicente pulled Alaves level in the second half, but Rodrygo secured the visitors a much-needed victory at Mendizorrotza Stadium.

Alonso was able to bring his key player, Mbappe, back into the side after he could only watch the defeat by City from the bench due to knee discomfort.

The coach also handed a debut to Victor Valdepenas at left-back, with both Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia suspended, and Ferland Mendy being one of several players out injured.

Mbappe appeared to be feeling his knee and hobbling in the first few minutes, but despite that, he was the game’s most influential player.

The forward had a shot deflected wide and then fired narrowly over as Alaves sat deep and tried to keep the 15-time European champions at bay.

By the time Mbappe opened the scoring in the 25th minute, his discomfort seemed to have cleared up.

Released by Jude Bellingham, Mbappe drove towards goal at full tilt and whipped a shot into the top right corner for his 17th league goal of the campaign.

England international Bellingham then blasted home from close range, but his strike was ruled out for a handball, as the ball had struck his arm.

Needing to fight back, Alaves moved onto the front foot and took control of the game before the break, almost pulling level.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine save with his head, even if he knew little about it, to deny Pablo Ibanez from close range.

Los Blancos were dangerous again soon after the interval, with Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera saving well from Mbappe and then Vinicius Junior.

They came to rue those misses when Vicente pulled Alaves level after 68 minutes.

The forward got in behind Antonio Rudiger, controlled former Madrid midfielder Antonio Blanco’s chipped pass, and whipped a shot past Courtois.

Eduardo Coudet’s side almost took the lead when Vicente’s low cross from the right was nudged wide by Toni Martinez, who was shifted off-balance as he shot by Raul Asencio’s pressure.

Instead, Madrid pulled back in front, with Vinicius breaking in down the left and crossing for Rodrygo to finish from 6 yards out.

It was the Brazilian’s second goal in two games after going the previous 32 matches without finding the net, and Alonso celebrated vehemently, knowing his future could depend on it.

Vinicius had appeals for a penalty turned down, and Bellingham came close in stoppage time as Madrid tried in vain to put the game to bed and ease their nerves.

Third-place Villarreal’s visit to face Levante was postponed due to a weather warning in the Valencia region. Real Oviedo, 19th, sacked coach Luis Carrion after a 4-0 hammering at Sevilla.

On Saturday, champions Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 to win a seventh straight La Liga game and ensure they will lead the table into 2026, regardless of what happens in the final round of fixtures before the winter break.

At around 18:47 local time (07:47 GMT) on Sunday, New South Wales Police received reports that shots had been fired at a park in Bondi Beach, Sydney.

In the minutes that followed, footage filmed by bystanders shows two gunman appearing to fire a volley of shots towards a park from a bridge.

Police say 15 people, including 10-year-old girl, were killed in the shooting. One of the gunman is also dead.

World news correspondent Joe Inwood pieces together verified footage of the incident to show how Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades unfolded.

National treasure Dame Judi Dench has admitted she is concerned that social media is taking over, and believes that theatres could pay the price

Dame Judi Dench has admitted she fears for the future of theatre. In an interview to promote a new TV show with fellow theatre star Kenneth Branagh, Judi was asked if theatre had evolved since she first took to the stage in 1957.

She said: “All I can hope is that theatre has evolved. With the onset of social media and I believe a marked lack of interest in the Arts, I fear that the younger generations won’t have the benefit or interest in the theatre like we all had.”

Judi, 91,insisted the stage had been a huge help to her acting during an incredible career. She is known for starring in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.

She said: “In every single play or production I have ever done, I’ve learnt something new. That comes not just from the play or the director, but also from your fellow actors. Each production offers countless opportunities to keep learning and growing.

“I knew in Antony & Cleopatra that there was a line of Cleopatra that was intended to get a laugh – on the 100th performance I got the laugh.”

In Peter Hall’s 1987 National Theatre production of Antony and Cleopatra, Judi Dench took Shakespeare’s character and re-created it from her own personality and imagination. She was alongside Antony Hopkins as Antony. Critics have described it as one of Dench’s greatest performances.

Michael Billington wrote in the Guardian: “Dench gave us a Cleopatra whose sexuality stemmed from her volatility, intelligence and wit: a woman of infinite variety who was enthralling company and an irresistible magnetic force, drawing Anthony Hopkins’s jaded warrior of an Antony back to Egypt.”

But it didn’t always go this week. Recalling her first ever stage performance playing Ophelia in 1957, Dench told Branagh: “I was in a kind of haze. We opened at the Liverpool Playhouse. It didn’t go well.

“They didn’t like somebody completely unknown playing the part. It was a bit dodgy.” Thankfully, she was encouraged and kept on in the theatre company and given smaller roles to build up her confidence again. She would go on to become one of the great British actors.

Dench has won an Oscar, two Golden Globes and six Baftas. As well as her stage performances, she is well known for portraying M in eight James Bond films.

Tea with Judi Dench sees her joined by Branagh for a one-off show on Sky Arts. They reflect on their remarkable careers and personal journeys in an intimate and insightful discussion. Dench said they share a similar sense of humour and she added: “What I admire most is his attitude to work, his commitment to what he does, and of course his sense of humour – those are the first things that stand out. Also, his respect for the theatre and the work he does.”

* Tea with Judi Dench airs 22 December on Sky Arts, Freeview, and streaming service NOW

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Kumar’s scoring was inferior to Veenstra’s, but his finishing proved crucial, boasting a 75% checkout success and hitting all his last seven doubles.

“I don’t know what to say right now. I’m overwhelmed, I’m happy,” said Kumar, who is nicknamed ‘The Royal Bengal’.

“If you dream it, anything is possible. I’ve dreamed of this ever since I saw Dennis Priestley win the World Championship (in 1994).”

Asked about what his victory could do for darts in India, he said: “I’ve opened the floodgates to a billion of them.

“I’m sorry, 10 years down the line if you have eight people in the World Championship walking on to Bollywood music, don’t blame me.”

Veenstra hit five 100-plus finishes, with his highest coming at 144. Kumar was not as flamboyant with his scoring, but proved to be incredibly consistent as the crowd roared him on.

Three-time BDO world champion Glen Durrant said on Sky Sports: “It was one of the greatest games I have ever commentated on.

“It’s not just the quality of the match, it’s the impact for Nitin Kumar and what it does for Indian darts.”

Two seeds exited the competition on Sunday – world number 23 Dimitri van den Bergh and 27th-ranked Ritchie Edhouse.

Belgium’s Van den Bergh was out of sorts from the first dart and was comfortably beaten 3-0 by Scottish debutant Darren Beveridge.

In the afternoon session, Edhouse was knocked out by Jonny Tata, who was also making his first appearance.

Former European champion Edhouse was stunned 3-0 by the New Zealander, to taste defeat at this stage for the fourth time in a row.

But the same fate did not follow fellow seed Joe Cullen after he eased past Bradley Brooks with a 3-0 win.

The world number 32 was in fine form to produce his second-highest average on the world stage with 99.33.

Another debutant, Englishman Dom Taylor, progressed to the second round with a 3-0 win over Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak.

Meanwhile, the evening session saw the Netherlands’ Lukas Wenig beat Wesley Plaiser 3-1 while England’s James Hurrell beat Stowe Buntz by the same scoreline.

Dec. 14 (UPI) — A Hong Kong court is scheduled to deliver its verdict Monday in the national security case against media founder and former publisher Jimmy Lai, one of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy figures and the founder of the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily.

Lai, 78, whose Chinese name is Lai Chee-ying, is charged alongside several companies linked to Apple Daily, including Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited, according to the court’s docket.

Prosecutors allege that Lai conspired to collude with foreign forces, an offense punishable by as much as a life sentence in prison under Hong Kong’s national security law.

Court records show the case is listed for verdict at 10 a.m. local time in the Court of First Instance at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building.

The Hong Kong Judiciary issued special public seating and ticketing arrangements for the hearing, citing high demand. According to court notices, admission tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 45 minutes before the hearing, with overflow seating and live broadcasts provided in multiple courtrooms.

The case has also drawn international attention, with governments and press freedom groups warning that the prosecution reflects a broader erosion of civil liberties and press freedom in Hong Kong since the national security law was imposed in 2020.

Lai has pleaded not guilty to two counts of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” and a separate count of conspiracy to publish seditious material in Apple Daily, The New York Times reported. He has been jailed since his arrest five years ago.