Review of Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012) by Jim H — 12 Oct 2012

Two friends break up as lovers, but they find that moving on is harder than it seems.

When I went to see this film, I couldn't help but compare it to Breaking Upwards, which has essentially the same plot. But the problem with Breaking Upwards was that the characters found moving on superficially easy, and the characters were never called into question in any serious way. Celeste and Jesse Forever improves on this flaw. We realize Jesse's problems quickly: he needs to grow up, and since Judd Apatow has covered this territory so thoroughly that any other story about men needing to take responsibility would seem like a tired cliche, Celeste dominates the second act. Her flaws are less obvious. She seems to have it all together, but having it all together makes her indomitable, with an air of superiority that makes her unapproachable. Rashida Jones plays the nuances of this character well, and the film isn't afraid to make her unattractive.

I agree with Super Reviewer Alice Shen who stated, "Jesse's 0 (still being "in love" with Celeste and too-scared-to-let-go booty calls) to 60 (having a baby and wanting to make it work with someone he just met) transformation is just too inexplicable." She's right, but there are nevertheless a lot of strengths to how sharply these characters are drawn; Jones shows herself to be a very good writer.

Overall, I liked Celeste and Jesse Forever, a romantic comedy with more brains than many in its genre.