Celeste and Jesse Forever [Blu-ray]

Director: Lee Toland Krieger Lee Toland Krieger

Overview

Lee Toland Krieger's humorous romantic drama Celeste and Jesse Forever focuses on best friends who stay incredibly close even after they divorce. Celeste (Rashida Jones) is a type-A marketing whiz with a knack for trend spotting, and Jesse (Andy Samberg) is a struggling artist with an irresponsible streak. They've been BFFs since 10th grade, and even though their attempt at marriage together failed, they still spend every day together, enjoying their private jokes and making each other laugh, six months after their separation. He hopes for a reconciliation, she wants him to grow up. Their deep bond takes its first serious blow when Jesse finally does become involved with another woman - causing each of them to wonder how to be in each other's lives. Co-written by Jones and actor Will McCormack, the movie co-stars Ari Graynor, Eric Christian Olsen, and Emma Roberts.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/05/2013
UPC:	0043396414266
Original Release:	2011
Rating:	R
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:32:00
Sales rank:	36,273

Special Features

Deleted scenes; Two commentaries with Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Will McCormack and Lee Toland Krieger; The making of Celeste and Jesse Forever; On the red carpet: premiere Q&A

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Rashida Jones	Celeste
Andy Samberg	Jesse
Chris Messina	Paul
Ari Graynor	Beth
Emma Roberts	Riley
Elijah Wood	Scott
Eric Christian Olsen	Tucker
Will McCormack	Skillz
Rebecca Dayan	Veronica
Rich Sommer	Max
Matthew Del Negro	Nick
Rafi Gavron	Rupert
Rob Huebel	Business Man
Shira Lazar	Herself
Kate Krieger	Yogurt Girl
Matthias Steiner	Himself
Andreas Beckett	German Announcer
Janel Parrish	Savannah
Jessica Joffe	Saleswoman
Chris Pine	Mystery Buddy
Zoe Hall	Waitress
Lenny Jacobson	Peter Pan
Chris D'Elia	Snow White
Sarah Haskins	Parent
Lauren Sanchez	News Reporter
Ashley Dowling	Bartender,Bartender
Willi Mac	Bear
Robert Kya-Hill	Priest
Amanda MacLachlan	Bridesmaid
Sarah Wright	Bridesmaid
Jordan Reid	Bridesmaid
Joel Michaely	Gay Man #1
Philip Pavel	Gay Man #2
Louisa Kendrick	Celeste's Lawyer
Jason Antoon	Young Man
Zach Cowie	Composer
Sunny Levine	Composer

Technical Credits

Will McCormack

Rashida Jones

Lee Toland Krieger	Director
Will McCormack	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Rashida Jones	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Suzanne Todd	Producer,Producer
Lee Nelson	Producer
Barbara McCarthy	Casting
Angela Demo	Casting
Tad Driscoll	Production Manager
Kevin Scott Frakes	Producer,Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

The question of whether men and women can ever really be friends lies at the heart of so many romantic comedies and dramas that Celeste and Jesse Forever deserves a healthy dose of praise just for finding a new angle on this enduring debate. The movie subverts our expectations very quickly. After establishing the seemingly perfect relationship of Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) during the opening-credits montage, and then giving us a scene of their playful affection, we see the couple being ridiculously cute together while out to dinner with their friends Beth (Ari Graynor) and Tucker (Eric Christian Olsen). At one point, Beth, overwhelmed by the couple's silly baby talk, explodes and says it's unnatural for them to be like this when they've been separated for six months and are getting divorced. It turns out that Celeste, a type-A professional who makes a living in marketing because she has a gift for trend spotting, and Jesse, a struggling artist who seems to lack motivation and certainly a steady paycheck, have been friends since tenth grade and can't quite let go of each other, even though their marriage was a failure. Co-written by Jones and actor Will McCormack, the movie offers few surprises in terms of plotting -- other people enter Celeste and Jesse's lives, the duo fight, then reconcile, then fight again -- but the actors are given every opportunity to play a variety of emotions. Jones, an inherently likable screen presence whose beauty never overwhelms her approachability, becomes the center of the movie as Celeste -- with her insatiable desire to be right all the time -- carries most of the dramatic weight. Jones allows the character to be both affecting and annoying as Celeste begins losing control, the exact thing she fears most, at work and in her personal life. Samberg turns out to be a solid onscreen partner for her; he tones down his goofy persona without sacrificing laughs. He's got a knack for portraying boyish enthusiasm and immaturity that doesn't feel infantile or hostile. In one of their many reconciliation scenes, he shows up at her house and just wants her to hold him. It's a tender scene in which both leads engagingly reveal their characters' vulnerabilities. The supporting cast more than hold their own: Chris Messina stands out as a yoga enthusiast and possible love interest for Celeste, while Emma Roberts gets laughs as a Britney Spears-esque pop star with a knack for calling Celeste out on her personal failings. Director Lee Toland Krieger never pushes the material; he's interested in just watching the characters, and that's where he wants our focus as well. He relies on naturalism from his actors, and his unobtrusive camera work accentuates their feelings instead of dictating ours. The meaning of the title Celeste and Jesse Forever shifts as the film goes along. Sometimes it carries a hint of bemused resignation, sometimes it's bitingly ironic, and sometimes it's a plain statement of fact. By the time the closing credits roll, you'll realize it's mostly the latter and you'll understand what that fact means for the two main characters.