Celeste & Jesse Forever

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.

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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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.

'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