Review of Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012) by Peneflix M — 22 Aug 2012

This is a classic scenario of "having your cake and eating it too"; "Celeste" and "Jesse" have loved, been in love, their entire lives; they interpret each others thoughts, mimic foreign accents with perfect pitch; are the closest of comrades, play blissfully together; separated after six years of marriage. A troubling enigma is we never know why.

Celeste (Rashida Jones, co-writer) is bright, controlling, a thriving "trend forecaster"; Jesse (Andy Samberg) aimless, loveable, manipulated, withering in Celeste's successful shadow, minimally productive, dwelling in Celeste's guest house.

Celeste is blindly cavalier and completely blind-sided when a younger, attractive version of herself "Veronica" (Rebecca Dayan) enters the amorous arena; the film flounders in the acceptance process; Celeste's self -esteem is lacerated; she fumbles and flagellates in a maze of booze and drugs, questioning, pondering, wallowing in wounded myopic self-centered pity; her self-righteousness, infallibility felled, no longer the mainstay of her psyche; she is human and bleeds.

"Celeste and Jesse Forever" succeeds in avoiding the predictable pitfalls of many romantic comedies; we are served a realistic, messy (not syrupy) taste of truth; the characters are incorrigible, still in the jejune, embryonic phases of their personal and professional lives; would love to visit them, in ten years time, after life's vicissitudes, blessings have honed them to maturity; discover what residue of youth, ambition, desire lurks behind their ageing, graying personas.

THREE STARS!!!

For Now.....Peneflix.