Celeste and Jesse Forever has brought to the big screen an insightful story on relationships and heartaches with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. This indie romantic dramedy is a fresh change from all the big blockbusters movies that are out this summer.
Celeste (Rashida Jones), a successful trend analyst who runs her own media consulting company is divorced to her longtime love and best friend Jesse (Andy Samberg). Celeste’s non-ambitious ex-husband may be the opposite of her, but love is still present. Celeste and Jesse spend each day together as “friends” with Jesse living in the studio of Celeste’s house. Their close friends tell them that their unusual setup is weird but Celeste refuses to admit that they’re not ready to let go of each other and even turns a blind eye to Jesse’s true feelings. Their unusual setup is obviously never bound to last long and with a few surprises along the way. Celeste has to deal with a broken heart some interesting self-discoveries and getting back into the dating scene.
Jones and Samberg have an undeniable chemistry on-screen and as lovers and best friends, these two actors nailed their roles perfectly. Jones who wrote the screenplay with ex-boyfriend Will McCormack who plays Jesse’s stoner/dealer friend Skillz, based this film on their own lovers-to-friendship relationship. Jones and McCormack have definitely captured a lot of relatable issues many 30-something couples are going through.
The rest of the cast was a great support for the movie, Elijah Wood plays Celeste’s gay business partner who’s funny but not over-the-top. Emma Roberts plays Riley Banks a stereotypical pop tart that Celeste thinks is everything that’s wrong with humanity. Other characters in the movie from Celeste and Jesse’s friends to potential lovers and dates have brought a certain charm to the movie but Jones was the most charismatic. Watching her emotionally naked and vulnerable, Jones made it so easy to fall in love with her character.
This unique storyline and the subtle but hard-hitting way of examining relationships offers something different from all the other movies in this genre. Although there is seriousness to the issues being tackled, the movie still didn’t lose its hilarity. Celeste’s denial as a way of coping with her heartache brought forth lots of funny moments that made this film worth watching.
Celeste and Jesse Forever was a pleasant surprise that will make you laugh, cry and leave the theatre with a smile and a spring in your step. With many quotable lines that will stick to your head, this movie is smart and disarmingly honest. One of the best lines in the movie delivered by Celeste’s fervent admirer Paul, “You don’t want to be right, you want to be happy”, hits the spot. Celeste and Jesse Forever is thoroughly entertaining but what made this movie a cut above the rest is the valuable insights and a different perception about your own relationship that you will take with you when you leave the theatre.
