Health & Fitness
Weekend Watch: Celeste and Jesse Forever
Weekend Watch is a weekly movie review looking at the latest films in the theaters, what's streaming online, and even black and white classics. This Week: The Indie dramedy Celeste and Jesse Forever.
Valentine’s Day is always a huge event for couples. Normally me and my wife would go all out with assorted gifts and loved themed knick knacks, but we had a trip planned for the next week so we were trying to save as much money as possible. We decided to do dinner and a movie, so after dinner I took her to the nearest Redbox, and being the gentleman that I am, let her choose the movie that she wanted to watch. She chose “Celeste and Jesse Forever.”
I was apprehensive about this move from the get go. It looked like another hipster indie dramedy, and frankly, I can’t stand that type of film. But it was Valentine’s Day so I really couldn’t go back on my word so I gritted my teeth and rented the movie.
“Celeste and Jesse Forever” centers around Celeste (Rashida Jones), a driven career woman, who after getting fed up with her husband Jesse (Andy Samberg), a lazy artist, decides to separate from him. The twist here is they actually remain best friends. At least until one of them decides to finally move on.
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The story line didn’t actually blow me away, because it felt so ordinary. I felt as if I had watched hundreds of different renditions of this idea. It was the chemistry between Jones and Samberg that pulled me in. I felt like I was watching a real couple on screen.
The actors shined in their respective roles. Especially Andy Samberg. Watching him play anything other than over the top goofball was weird, but I believe it showed the staying power he has as an actor.
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My only gripe is that the supporting cast wasn’t utilized to their potential. The film provides too close of a view on Celeste and Jesse, and because of that the other characters that push the plot along seem one dimensional.
At the end of it all what intrigued me the most was how invested I became in the characters. I wasn’t actually rooting for Celeste and Jesse to be together for the sake of saving a marriage. I was more focused on their individual happiness and wanted them to find a way of life that made them truly happy.
If you want to watch an entertaining move for under 2 dollars, head to your local Redbox and pick up Celeste and Jesse Forever.
