Celeste e Jesse Para Sempre

¨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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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.

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.

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.