In any film, there’s always something easy to pick at, even if the movie was great. Finger-pointing is simple because it’s obvious what went wrong, whether it’s to do with an actor, a director, or the set.
Eight fingers and two thumbs aren’t enough to point out all the wrongs in Celeste and Jesse Forever.
The title itself is something a 13-year-old girl writes on her binder while bored in class. This movie was on the brink of being tossed out the window 10 minutes into it. I stuck it out. Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment.
Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg are Celeste and Jesse, a separated couple who remain best friends. Usually there’s this thing called “chemistry” between two actors in such an intimate role; it helps carry the film and gives the audience something to relate to. That isn’t the case here, which makes it hard to believe they were ever anything more than friends.
This needs to be said: Samberg is neither Robin Williams nor Jim Carrey; interchanging between comedy and drama is a skill, which Samberg lacks. He’d be best to stick to the Lonely Island.
Jones is decent in her role as Celeste, but can’t fully pull it off. It’s hard to tell if it’s the acting, the directing, or simply poor writing that makes her character lack believability. It seems the only reason she’s the lead role and not a supporting one is because she co-wrote the script, with Will McCormack (who, oddly enough, does well in a supporting role, despite the poor writing).
Then there’s Elijah Wood, who is Jones’ gay business partner. He’s even worse than Samberg in his role. Wood may have been more believable as homosexual if he didn’t try so hard to play up the stereotypes.
Lee Toland Krieger directed this fail. A couple questions come to mind: is he a bad director, or was he too intimidated to properly direct the actors into doing a good job? There were a few scenes that could have been gold, but completely missed the mark.
Overall, Celeste and Jesse is a failed attempt at a witty, quirky independent film with too many painfully awkward moments. There were some genuine laughs, but not enough to pretend it was worth the watch. Spare yourself the wasted 92 minutes.