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'CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg play a divorcing couple who remain best friends and inseparable until one meets someone new. The film is equal parts comedy and drama and actually allows both Jones and Samberg to show off their acting chops and do something a little more serious for a change. It was written by Jones as well, along with fellow actor Will McCormack (who also co-stars in the film). Lee Toland Krieger directed the film but Jones and McCormack were nominated for Best First Screenplay at the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards. The film has received great reviews as well and I think deservingly so. It's a funny and insightful film and both Jones and Samberg shine in it.

Jones plays Celeste, a trend analyzer who runs a media business with her friend Scott (Elijah Wood). Samberg plays Jesse, an unemployed artist still struggling to find work. The two were high school sweethearts who married young and have now been separated for several months (while they finalize their divorce). Their friends Beth (Ari Graynor) and Tucker (Eric Christian Olsen), who are engaged, think it's odd that they spend so much time together and act like they're still a couple. Jesse's friend Skillz (McCormack) encourages him to start dating. Jesse is reluctant to follow his advice because he believes Celeste will come around and they'll get back together. Celeste ended things with Jesse though because she thinks he's taken so long to find work and make something of himself. When Jesse tells Celeste he's having a baby with his beautiful new girlfriend Veronica (Rebecca Dayan) it throws her for a loop and causes her to reevaluate her life and her feelings for Jesse.

The film is told more through Celeste's point of view and it's nice to see a romantic comedy that seems true to life and revolves around the woman having a mental breakdown rather than the guy. Jones is fantastic in the role and her and McCormack's script is smart and insightful. Samberg is great as well and it's nice to see him trying his hand at drama (and doing so successfully). He and Jones still have plenty of truly comedic moments as well (as does the rest of the cast) and they also have beautiful chemistry. Krieger's directing adds the perfect feel and beautiful look to the movie as well. This is an all around well done romantic dramedy and an impressive career step for both Jones and Samberg!

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The short story: I liked this film. The longer story is I'm not sure exactly what you'd call this movie. Honestly I had never heard of it before finding it in the $5 bin, but I like Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg (the leads) and the premise seemed interesting, essentially a separated married couple who are still best friends and do everything together, it just didn't work out to be married. There are funny parts, but not enough to label it a comedy or rom-com, and certainly drama, but not enough to be considered dramatic. It's not even really a love story. And it's no action-packed special-effects-laden blockbuster. I guess what it is is a decent, down-to-earth story (from Hollywood - I KNOW) about real-type characters in realistic situations that viewers can relate to with a decent cast, even pacing and with a sensible ending. Definitely worth a look. 7/10

I can't understand for the life of me why this movie has such a low rating! I went into this movie not expecting too much.. I don't mind Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones so I thought I'd give it a try. First off, don't watch this movie if you're looking for something full of laughs. It's not supposed to be something that has you in stitches. I thought it was a beautiful, well acted story of love and friendship. At times it was frustrating, heartbreaking, amusing and heartwarming. It made me smile and it made me sad. Both Samberg and Jones were pretty phenomenal in their acting in this movie. This movie stuck me as a more intelligent, realistic romance for those of us who are over the Nicholas Sparks sap. I'd recommend giving this movie a chance, I'm glad I did.

Celeste and Jesse Forever is a more honest look at breakups and divorce than most romantic dramedies of the last couple of years. The film had a lot of thoughtfulness to it, was delicately filmed and full of wit and raw emotion. The downside though is that it has an overly familiar formula that has been done to death now with films like The Break-Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Take This Waltz, Friends with Kids, etcetera. The film just gets lost in that ever-growing genre, even though it's quite the gem and probably the most relevant version of that specific formula I've seen lately.

The performances were genuine and charming, with an undeniable likable cast. Rashida Jones is becoming one of my favorite actresses of today, and I think Celeste and Jesse Forever is her true breakthrough performance. Rashida plays Celeste who is in the process of finalizing her divorce from her husband Jesse, who still lives with her and are oddly close friends still. Jesse, played with corky poise by Andy Samberg, soon starts dating to move on which thrills Celeste until his past fling pops up in his life again and reveals that she is pregnant. Celeste finds it harder than ever to move on and all she is feeling is regret.

I think the film's process of his or her struggle of moving on was naturally dealt with, as there is no Hollywood ending or overuse of sentimentality. The film in the end doesn't sugarcoat anything, which was a breath of fresh air in that aspect. The supporting cast was not half bad either and it's always great to watch Ari Graynor who plays Celeste's best friend Beth. Ari Graynor to me is a talented actress and it's about time she deserves a leading role and put an end to playing sidekicks.

Director, Lee Toland Krieger seems to be a personable director and connects with the audience in a timely matter. There were a couple of quiet, simple moments of poignancy and then balanced it with humor effortlessly. The use of songs fits this film like a glove and went with the flow. Writers and stars of the film Will McCormack and Rashida Jones should definitely collaborate again because the writing was just filled with honest humor and thoughtfulness, which created great energy for the film.

Overall, it's not a groundbreaking romantic comedy, but Rashida Jones is such a mesmerizing, witty and intelligent actress in this film that you will fall in love with it.

Lots of comedies in the last year or so have focused on whether two people can be involved sexually without being involved romantically. "Celeste and Jesse Forever" asks if two people who were involved sexually can be involved platonically. Both beat the dead horse of "complicated" relationships in film, but what's nice about "Celeste and Jesse" is that it never loses its comic edge in spite of melodrama.

Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg star as the titular couple in the process of a divorce, but because they spent so long as best friends, they have no concept of needing to draw boundaries.

It's a tough sell early on, that two people could go through a divorce yet essentially live together and spend time together in a somewhat intimate fashion. Jones, who co-wrote the script with Will McCormack (who has a supporting role), chooses to make Celeste and Jesse opposites in terms of professional status (he's a slacker artist, she's a big-deal trend forecaster) in order to justify why, despite their fabulous on-screen chemistry, they're not meant to stay married. It takes a bit of story wizardry, namely physical obstacles that force them apart, but somehow it makes sense, probably because Jones and Samberg are so likable.

The story then plays out like the emotional roller coaster of a relationship between two people who feel one thing but do another. It's exhausting, at times, as a third-party observer, to watch them fall in and out of the same predictable problems. A few scenes will certainly elicit shouts at the screen of "just get back together already!" or "stop screwing around and end it!" — depending on the scene.

Naturally, each character has his and her attempts to rebound by going on dates with other people and trying new relationships. To this point we've seen enough of the formula to know how that part of the story goes: two former lovers get mad at each other, the one who didn't really want to split rebounds first, the other says they're really happy for that person but secretly can't stand it, etc. That's all here in "Celeste and Jesse Forever."

So what's the saving grace? Something that makes "Celeste and Jesse" stand out from the pack? The answer is the simple refusal to ever take itself too seriously. Without it, the film would likely devolve into a train wreck of predictable moments.

In spite of the absurd tear count in the movie, Celeste is never shy about cracking a joke, nor the script afraid go out on a limb with something more extreme and less believable. This, in a movie that so fiercely tries to capture the gray area in relationships in a truthful way. Humor keeps the film in check, especially for us, who would otherwise happily chop up the script and divide the pieces into piles marked "realistic" and "unrealistic." The quirkier tone and moments maintain the soft illusion of a more fantastical real-life relationship story.

Director Lee Toland Krieger nicely flows back and forth between both up-close-and-personal realism and more standard-order comedy camera-work. On a few occasions he makes bold choices, some that work, some that backfire, but the comic and dramatic moments almost never butt heads.

Life in Los Angeles is, for many, a fantasy of a sort, and "Celeste and Jesse" could easily be deemed a story that could "only happen in L.A." In addition to the frozen yogurt and the exposure of the fraud that is trendy exercise, Celeste works in the entertainment industry and post-Jesse she's set up on all these dates with successful creative people. Scenes take place in all kinds of exotic clubs, so much of the context surrounding these characters oozes with a superficiality that makes the film both great and disturbing.

A little more troubling is the legit problem that Jesse disappears in large chunks of this film. There's a reason Celeste comes first in the billing, and that's because the movie only shows intimate moments featuring her (and the ones she shares with Jesse). Samberg doesn't get much of a chance to prove himself as a talent that can go below the surface. The script treats Jesse like a child, kind of like the way Celeste sees him. There's artist value to this decision, but the moments between the two of them are too lopsided in our minds. Great romance movies get you charged up because you feel a certain way about both characters, and in this film we only really feel what Celeste feels.

There's something special in "Celeste and Jesse," however, some rare ability to see the humor in the personally tragic, the potential for levity and irony in any situation. The emotional place that these two best friends arrive at in the end might not be as satisfying as that in a strong romance or rom-com, nor as poetic as in a tragedy, but with its playful disposition, it manages to carve out a place that's different, one that stands out from the pack just enough.

~Steven C

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As another reviewer interestingly stated: It's tough to put this in a box or label it for that matter. Of course the first impression is that this is a romantic comedy, which is a fair assessment of the movie. But it would also be unfair to the movie to only boil it down to this. There is more to it and it deals with Human interaction and emotions on a bigger scale than this.

The two leads are terrific and unlike other romantic movies, you actually don't know where this will lead you from the get go. They play with such a gusto (great script/story matched with the acting talent to pull it off). It's also nice to see flawed characters, but not comically flawed. We all have our downfalls and we all have things/issues we work on. And the movie does concentrate on the female lead, which is a nice touch too. A really good (romantic) drama with comedy touches

I gave this movie a 10 for the sake of balancing its score. It is a great movie about how love itself may not be enough to endure a relationship, how one's attitude can change everything and what can happen if emotions are taken for granted. The storyline is very realistic and relatable. I think it is more of a 500 Days of Summer type of romantic movie rather than a fairytale. The acting is also on point and Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg share a credible chemistry. In my opinion its score should be at least 7.5.

From an outside observer's perspective, Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) are the perfect married couple. They have multiple inside jokes, sing along to the radio together, and have been together since high school. However, Celeste and Jesse are separated and have been for the last six months. Jesse, the less successful of the two professionally, moved out out their house but only to the guest house/studio in the back. They still have dinner with their friends together and Celeste, perhaps without realizing it, still wears a heart-shaped necklace which says "C&J 4ever".

Celeste and Jesse Forever is a first time writing credit for Rashida Jones and Will McCormack who plays Skillz, the on/off again couple's marijuana supplier and sounding board. For first time screenwriters, the screenplay is noticeably witty without tripping into slapstick or tried and true romantic comedy clichés. There are a few problems though, Celeste is a successful trend forecaster (what?) and the line "Are we really doing this?" or "Is this happening right now?" pops up in almost every situation. When Celeste calls out a coffee shop line cutter, the guys says, "Are we really going this right now?" When yoga classmate a Paul (Chris Messina) tries to ask out Celeste, she naturally responds, "Are you really doing this right now?" Yes, this is trivial, but if dialogue like this distracts the audience during the film, it is unnecessary.

Jesse wants to get back together with Celeste. Yes, they fight and he mooches off of his wife because he is an unemployed artist, but they are so good together. After getting his hopes dashed on too many times, Jesse finally screws up his nerve and moves out. This knocks the wind out of Celeste. For her, Jesse is as predictable as the morning commute. When she doesn't feel like having his company, she just sends him back outside to the studio. But now he's gone. Does Celeste even know who she is sans Jesse?

At work, Celeste works comfortably for Scott (Elijah Wood), a homosexual who makes tacky gay jokes to try and seem more gay. Aside from trend forecasting and promoting her new book 'Shitegeist' which is about the death of quality pop culture, their firm also markets and brands artists. Their new client is Riley Banks (Emma Roberts) who is written as a completely vapid imitation, or actual representation, of Ke$ha. Celeste and Riley have an uncomfortable relationship as Celeste looks down on Riley as all that is wrong with the world and Riley cannot stand Celeste's condescension. It does not help that Riley's new music single is 'Do It On My Face'.

Perhaps Celeste finds it so hard to work with Riley and competently function in day-to-day life because she is having second thoughts and regrets. Was Jesse really so bad? Now that is he is out from under her shadow, what if Jesse straightens himself out, matures, but meets someone else? These are weighty issues for a comedy which turns out to be deeper and incorporates more drama than the average rom com.

Celeste and Jesse Forever is an admirable start for two new writers, a worthy relationship study, and I recommend it for any young couple on a Friday night.

This film is pure candy. Rashida Jones wrote a story about a couple who love each other enough to call it quits while they're still in love. Both characters have flaws, but Samberg's character is to blame for the divorce because he's a child who is content to let his upwardly mobile wife carry the couple's financial responsibilities. As a result, Jone's character loses respect for him, and finds it hard to relate to him as a wife, but feels more like a mother. This is a common problem in relationships these days, and this script jumps right into the middle of the subject. The chemistry between Jones and Samberg is very believable, and they have the same quirk factor, so it's heartbreaking to watch their lives move in different directions when Samberg's beautiful one-night-stand-baby-mama shows up. The guy just can't do anything right. Then, he decides to do something right, and suddenly Jones' starts back walking and taking inventory of what's out there versus what she already had. Elijah Wood was a nice touch as Rashida's gay business partner. Ari Gaynor played a peach of a best friend. In fact, all the supporting actors were perfect in this romantic drama comedy that required rapid fire quips, flippancy, and gut wrenching truths, culminating in a tearful confrontation between the two main characters that brought me to tears with its heartbreaking authenticity.

Seems like Miss Jones is more than a pretty face, and Andy Samberg has range. If I had a criticism it would be that the film seemed primarily about Rashida's character, which made her character seem controlling and self absorbed. This made it a little harder to empathize with her character, however, she redeemed herself in the scene where she fell into and out of Samberg's trash can snooping, and got caught doing it. Hilarious. Chris Messina added a nice possibility.

A very enjoyable and entertaining film.

¨At last love wins. You guys are lucky to be best friends.¨

Celeste and Jesse Forever is an authentic romantic comedy directed by Lee Toland Krieger (winner of the Independent Spirit Award in 2010 for the screenplay of The Vicious Kind) and written by first timers Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. They are mostly known for their acting abilities, but they did receive an Independent Spirit nomination for their collaboration in this screenplay. Rashida Jones also stars in this film and McCormack has a supporting role as well. The story feels real and authentic and despite the fact that it stars Andy Samberg this is not as much as a comedy as it is a romantic drama. This is a very different role than what Samberg has us used to and he gives a very convincing performance alongside Rashida Jones who really delivers here. This may be her best performance to date. What I enjoyed most about their characters is that they were deeply flawed and vulnerable towards each other, but despite that they still managed to be really likable. I thought it was a very honest portrayal about two best friends who fall in love with each other at a very young age and have problems making the transition to adulthood together. In a way this is a very different romantic comedy since it begins sort of upside down with the romantic montage at the beginning of the movie and the disintegration of their relationship from then on. I really was surprised with the opening of the film since I really didn't know what this movie was about. The movie transitions nicely from being serious at times to being more playful at others, but it's all handled in a very authentic and believable way.

The movie begins with a romantic montage between Jesse (Andy Sandberg) and Celeste (Rashida Jones), two best friends in love with each other with a nice indie soundtrack in the background. When the story begins we are surprised to discover that the two friends aren't actually in a relationship anymore, since they have been separated for 6 months and are planning on getting divorced after six years of marriage. You wouldn't know that if you were an outsider because the couple seems to get along with each other perfectly. Jesse and Celeste remain close friends and spend almost all day talking to each other. Jesse also happens to be living in Celeste's guest house as he is currently unemployed and seems to be a bit of a slacker. Celeste on the other hand is a successful trend forecaster who has recently written a book on the matter. It seems that the main issue between them during their marriage was that Jesse was a little too childish and irresponsible. Anyway, they seem to get along better now as friends. They spend a lot of time with their friends, Beth (Ari Graynor) and Tucker (Eric Christian Olsen) who are engaged, and think that the two should work out their issues. Celeste is currently working for an important client, a pop artist sensation named Riley (Emma Roberts), along with her partner Scott (Elijah Wood). Their friendship is put to the test when Jesse begins dating another woman and Celeste struggles to let go of feelings she thought weren't there anymore.

I really enjoyed this film because it tackled the issues of best friends and breakup in a very authentic and real way. Rashida Jones gives a strong performance although she did go a little over the top with her reaction over Jesse dating someone else. She plays this character that thinks is so successful and smarter than everyone else. That is basically what hurt her relationship with Jesse since she considers him a slacker who seems to be heading nowhere with his life. She feels like Jesse is too immature for her, but at the same time that is what she loves about him because when the two are together they do a lot of childish things together. Their relationship is complicated, and the film depicts it in a very authentic way. This is an enjoyable indie romantic drama that is definitely worth your time. Rashida Jones should get some stronger roles offered her way because she's a talented actress and proved here that she can carry a movie. This is a strong emotional film that will leave you with a smile on your face and at the same time a sense of nostalgia. I agree with Mary Pols from TIME magazine where she said ¨I'd rather watch five divorce movies like this than one more featuring Katherine Heigl getting married.¨ Break up can be really hard and this movie shows it in an authentic way.

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... what could, should, should not and everything in between.

I've come across this film at a pivotal time in my life. The reason for watching is my love for Andy Samberg & Rashida Jones, from their performances in various films and series but mainly from my love of comedy; Brooklyn 99 and Parks & Recreation respectively.

The story isn't complicated nor is it profound. However for me at this exact moment in my fleeting existence it struck a tone. A tone of reflection.

This is not feel good film. Underneath the basic storyline and barely 2d character portrayals is a vast emotional journey of remorse, regret, happiness lost and a lasting message that life goes on with or without your blessing.

Samberg, Jones et al. cannot be criticised for their performances. Nor can I award great accolade. For me the message and the inspiration comes from the screen okay. You need to be at a certain cross road in your life to fully appreciate what this film has to offer.

I have found inspiration in it. Others I imagine may find it uneventful or 'boring'

It captures an emotion and a time almost all of us will go through in life. Bear that in mind.

This felt real. Not a magical romantic comedy where everything is set to happen in favor of the main leads by the end. It shows the indivual struggle between two people who clearly loves each other to move forward alone. It does this pretty well with a comic outline otherwise it would be too boring to watch. 1.5/2 for story and 1/1 for plot setting. There were some scenes that did not felt like it should be needed but the director wanted it to further showcase the struggles although they do not mean much to progress the story. This along with the cinematography gets 1/2. The cast did a good job portraying their roles and they have incredible chemistry. 1.5/2. Personally, I do not enjoy things when it gets too real. I am alredy living real and it should be magical in the movies. 1/2 from myself.

You might think a low budget indie film that revolves around a married couple's recent separation would be about as much fun as being bashed in the nuts with a bag of door knobs, but Celeste and Jesse Forever finds a way to escape any preconceived expectations to deliver an entertaining and original story.

Director Lee Toland Krieger is no stranger to venturing off into the deep end where drama and comedy intertwine. His 2009 indie darling The Vicious Kind touched on some of the same themes found in Celeste and Jesse. He has a knack at helping extremely funny actors let go of their public personas and expose their dark side for the world to see.

Actors Rashida Jones (who also co-wrote the screenplay) & Andy Samberg showcase an amazing chemistry together. Jones, who has appeared as the sidekick all over the place (TV: Parks and Recreation, The Office, Film: I Love You, Man, Our Idiot Brother, The Social Network) makes her point that she can easily be a leading lady as well. It's also extremely refreshing to see Andy Samberg prove that he really can act when given the right material. Hopefully he will use the opportunity to jump start his promising post-SNL career, and steer away from making more junk like That's My Boy.

Just when you think the story is heading down a familiar path it throws a wrench in the gears and keeps you guessing. Celeste and Jesse Forever is charming, humorous and touching, and plays as the exact opposite of what you might expect.

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Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) are best friends forever. They dated in high school then they got married and they love each other more than anything else in the world. Now they're getting divorced. It's a romantic comedy type story told backwards, kind of. It's not about how Celeste and Jesse fell in love, it's about how they're going to move on.

Independent romantic comedies are always better than Hollywood romantic comedies, so this has the decent set-up and follow-through and various obstacles in Celeste and Jesse's way for comedic purposes. It is sweet and fairly funny. However, it could lose its audience before it gets to the romantic ending.

What "Celeste & Jesse Forever" needs is likable characters. It doesn't have any. Celeste is an egotistical, hate-filled, pseudo-intellectual with a serious superiority complex. She insults everybody she meets with snappy, trendy lines devaluing their entire lives. We don't get to know Jesse nearly as well as we get to know Celeste. He's presented as a lazy, self-involved free-loader who makes rash decisions for self-pleasure. But it's hard to say if that really is what Jesse is like, or if that is just how Celeste described him to us.

Their best friends, all played by intriguing actors, were only there to further our comprehension of Celeste and Jesse's relationship. They weren't complete characters for us to like or get to know. Celeste's potential suitors were immediately painted as good and decent guys, whom I would have been happy to spend more time with. But Celeste's constant self-obsession didn't leave much room for anybody else.

The make-up and costume department did a great job – there was a Halloween scene where I knew which characters were dressed up as which celebrities before the script told me. Small moments of humour like that are appreciated.

Celeste's smarter-than-everybody-else attitude was played up for laughs towards the end, including one great line by Emma Roberts as a pop culture-embodying celebrity. She could have been likable but wasn't introduced until later on in the film and was way under-used.

"Celeste & Jesse Forever" was in desperate need for likable characters, and although they eventually gave a reason for animosity towards them, it was too little too late. We needed likable characters. Celeste was far from likable and Jesse might not have even been a real character.

Loved this film...I had the pleasure of seeing it at the LA Film Festival...What a pleasure to walk out when it ended with a happy feeling in my chest and in a great mood for the evening...The cast is excellent..the story line different...laughed out loud! Andy S is at his best..I loved the way he delivered his lines, a laugh throughout the film Rashida J. is funny and makes you fall in love with her. The entire cast does an incredible job. The casting of the entire film was wonderful, perfect in every way. The director did a fabulous job. I just can't say enough about Celeste and Jesse...a 10...do not miss seeing it this summer

One thing this serious-minded 2012 romantic comedy does is prove that Rashida Jones ("Parks and Recreation", "The Social Network") can carry a film. Like Debra Winger and Holly Hunter before her, she's one of those actresses who comes across as a little too smart for the room but still elicits affection when she allows herself to reveal her vulnerability. This must also be the way she sees herself since she co-wrote the screenplay with featured player Will McCormack (the stoner pal of Andy Samberg's character) and is in almost every scene of this movie. Fortunately it doesn't come across as a self-serving act of megalomania despite the character she plays. She's a type-A career woman, a celebrity trend-spotter who compulsively controls all her impulses, while Samberg plays a slacker graphic artist who's fine with not working for long stretches and repeatedly watches videos of the weightlifting competition from the 2008 Beijing Olympics for inspiration.

Directed with a surprisingly deft hand by Lee Toland Krieger ("The Vicious Kind"), the movie focuses on how these two characters, married but separated, remain an absurdly compatible couple whose failed attempt at marriage initially seems quite dumbfounding. They both contend they can divorce but remain best friends, an assertion that appalls best friends Beth and Tucker who are about to get married and can't understand why they won't move on with their lives. That's the simple premise, and the rest of the story deals with what happens when one starts to get serious about someone else and how neither is prepared for what it will do to their relationship. Their stop-start confusion is palpably played out amid a cool but lived-in LA that feels like an appropriate setting for this familiar story. Jones has Celeste carry most of the emotional burden, and she lends genuine likability to a character that could have otherwise been downright insufferable, which is a constant source of humor in the clever script.

Samberg is good in his first serious role although he sometimes seems too recessive to counterbalance Jones' energetic presence. Emma Roberts (Julia's niece, "Valentine's Day") plays Celeste's petulant Lady Gaga- wannabe pop star client Riley Banks with fervor and brings a nice edge to her scenes with Jones, while Elijah Wood has coiled fun playing Celeste's uptight gay business partner. Ari Graynor ("Conviction") and Eric Christian Olsen effectively play Beth and Tucker to their accustomed stereotypes. Chris Messina shows up yet again in a prominent supporting role, this time as Celeste's acerbic patient suitor in waiting. There are moments, scenes even, where I felt the movie was a little too satisfied with itself, but it usually recovers with amusing twists on conventional romcom situations mostly involving Celeste's inability to accept the inevitable. That, of course, places the pressure on Jones to deliver the goods as both star and screenwriter, both of which she handles quite well here.