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Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)
Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg.
Woo. This one’s going to be tough to write about.
Celeste and Jesse (Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) have been best friends since they were children. Friendship turned to romance as they grew older, and they were married for six years before divorcing in their late twenties or early thirties. Still best friends, Jesse lives in a studio behind Celeste’s house, and although they are no longer a couple, they spend all their free time together, still socializing with the same friends. Celeste and Jesse Forever is an exploration of post-breakup life for these awkwardly placed, good people.
Should they ever have broken up in the first place? And if the breakup was right, does it mean they shouldn’t get back together? And if the breakup was wrong, does that mean they should get back together? And even if they never get back together, is it possible for their special, completely genuine friendship to continue if their separate romantic lives are to pick up? Their friends seem as confused by their relationship as Celeste and Jesse sometimes are, first demanding they should be together and then supporting them in their romantic pursuits as they really try to separate.
The film does its best to subvert the romantic-comedy genre. In some respects, it succeeds, as it treads ground I haven’t seen in those films, and I’ve seen a lot of romantic-comedies. One staple in films of that ilk is the meet-cute, a classic contrivance that brings together people who should never meet but who should eventually be together, happily ever after. Celeste and Jesse spares us this only-in-the-movies setup, plopping us down right from the start in their post-divorce days. The screenplay was written by Jones with Will McCormack, and where they get the most points is in keeping things as close to real-life as I think I’ve seen in a romantic comedy. People pretty much say and do what you’d expect them to say and do, and not in the expected-because-that’s-how-it-is-in-movies way.
The screen chemistry between Jones and Samberg is exceptional, and each holds his or her end of the movie up very well. Conversations seem natural and real, and silences feel comfortable. Supporting characters are for the most part pretty good, but I think the realness of the main characters makes everyone else feel like a movie character. Part of this could be simply because Celeste moves in circles that are foreign to me (she’s a trends forecaster, the sort who is frequently interviewed on television and who gets paid by a record label to help develop artists’ images), as with the teen-idol pop singer played by Emma Roberts, or the possible love interest, a mid-life crisis dude who tries to pick her up after a yoga session. A little more effort spent in trying to ground the supporting characters better could have made this as perfect as a film like this is likely to be.
There are elements of this movie that make it definitely not for everyone, but I am going to avoid spoiling the plot in this space. If you suspect you might be someone who shouldn’t see it, contact me privately and I’ll tell you what you need to know. Otherwise, it’s definitely worth checking out if you get a little tired of the romantic-comedy formula.
8/10 (IMDb rating)
82/100 (Criticker rating)
Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg.
Woo. This one’s going to be tough to write about.
Celeste and Jesse (Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) have been best friends since they were children. Friendship turned to romance as they grew older, and they were married for six years before divorcing in their late twenties or early thirties. Still best friends, Jesse lives in a studio behind Celeste’s house, and although they are no longer a couple, they spend all their free time together, still socializing with the same friends. Celeste and Jesse Forever is an exploration of post-breakup life for these awkwardly placed, good people.
Should they ever have broken up in the first place? And if the breakup was right, does it mean they shouldn’t get back together? And if the breakup was wrong, does that mean they should get back together? And even if they never get back together, is it possible for their special, completely genuine friendship to continue if their separate romantic lives are to pick up? Their friends seem as confused by their relationship as Celeste and Jesse sometimes are, first demanding they should be together and then supporting them in their romantic pursuits as they really try to separate.
The film does its best to subvert the romantic-comedy genre. In some respects, it succeeds, as it treads ground I haven’t seen in those films, and I’ve seen a lot of romantic-comedies. One staple in films of that ilk is the meet-cute, a classic contrivance that brings together people who should never meet but who should eventually be together, happily ever after. Celeste and Jesse spares us this only-in-the-movies setup, plopping us down right from the start in their post-divorce days. The screenplay was written by Jones with Will McCormack, and where they get the most points is in keeping things as close to real-life as I think I’ve seen in a romantic comedy. People pretty much say and do what you’d expect them to say and do, and not in the expected-because-that’s-how-it-is-in-movies way.
The screen chemistry between Jones and Samberg is exceptional, and each holds his or her end of the movie up very well. Conversations seem natural and real, and silences feel comfortable. Supporting characters are for the most part pretty good, but I think the realness of the main characters makes everyone else feel like a movie character. Part of this could be simply because Celeste moves in circles that are foreign to me (she’s a trends forecaster, the sort who is frequently interviewed on television and who gets paid by a record label to help develop artists’ images), as with the teen-idol pop singer played by Emma Roberts, or the possible love interest, a mid-life crisis dude who tries to pick her up after a yoga session. A little more effort spent in trying to ground the supporting characters better could have made this as perfect as a film like this is likely to be.
There are elements of this movie that make it definitely not for everyone, but I am going to avoid spoiling the plot in this space. If you suspect you might be someone who shouldn’t see it, contact me privately and I’ll tell you what you need to know. Otherwise, it’s definitely worth checking out if you get a little tired of the romantic-comedy formula.
8/10 (IMDb rating)
82/100 (Criticker rating)