Celeste and Jesse Forever, a rom-dramedy (I’m sorry) starring Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg, has been picked up by Sony Pictures classic. The film was directed by Lee Toland Krieger (grandson of character actor Lee Krieger) and co-written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. And Elijah Wood plays a gay dude in it, so there’s that. Assorted reviews:
It’s a nice ninety-minute break from some of the more serious fare, although- while venturing near BRIDESMAIDS levels of hilarity at some points (minus the gross-out factor), it also manages to squeeze in a nice little relationship story about how the partner we take for granted, just might be the one thing that keeps us from going off the deep-end. –Joblo
Celeste and Jesse Forever has a bit of an identity crisis but it ends up being very pleasant, thanks in large part to Jones. –SlashFilm
The script not only provides a showcase for her dramatic range and comic timing, but also her ability to write hilarious dialogue and situations. But in a bizarre twist, her performance ends up carrying her script’s stumbling blocks and clumsy ending. Even when she’s her own worst enemy, Jones comes out the victor. –Collider
A likable and bittersweet relationship film that doesn’t telegraph its intentions, Celeste and Jesse Forever borrows tropes from the rom-com playbook and has enough laughs to be mistaken for one but ultimately doesn’t want to be pigeonholed. –Hollywood Reporter
Where the film still feels rough is its transitions from the goofy humor to the more weighty dramatic scenes that involve Celeste and Jesse dealing with their unusual situation. They both find it impossible to get rid of their feelings for each other, fair enough, but there are entire subplots in the movie that either feel underdeveloped or almost unnecessary. B- –Film.com
I’m a little worried that hardly any of the reviews say much about Andy Samberg, since Andy Samberg would generally be the main reason I’d see an Andy Samberg film.
Anyway, here’s Elijah Wood talking about the film to Hitfix:
Wow, that was almost everything I despise about press tour interviews packed into less than two minutes.
“It’s funny, and painfully real. You know? Like, there really is a lot heart and emotion and sadness to what these characters are going through. And yet… it’s a romantic comedy. So, it’s really fresh.”
KILL ME NOW. Is there some school actors go to that teaches them how to do pop psychology on fictional characters and offer the most dull analyses ever? “It’s really fresh” is actor for “well, we just tried to play hard and take it one game at a time.” I can’t do these. They don’t let me do them anymore because I start puking blood like those Nazi zombies in Død Snø every time an actor tells me where he’s DJ-ing that night. “Yeah, you should come out! Me, Ben Lyons, and Danny Masterson are going to spinning old-school jams down at– HHHAUUUURGGHHHLLBLAAAAGHGGGH.”