'Celeste and Jesse Forever' review: A rote rom-com in disguise

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on August 31, 2012 at 7:32 AM, updated August 31, 2012 at 8:06 AM

If a movie could fairly be judged solely on its final 20 minutes, "Celeste and Jesse Forever" would be on to something. As it hits the home stretch, it feels honest, it feels authentic and it feels grown-up -- which isn't always something you can expect from your standard rom-com, even one that trends more toward the dramatic, as "Celeste and Jesse" does.

0828 rashida jones and andy samberg in celeste and jesse forever.jpgRashida Jones and Andy Samberg star in the romantic drama 'Celeste and Jesse Forever.'

Unfortunately, there's an hour and 10 minutes of rote rom-commery to sit through before that finish. And that hour and 10 minutes makes all the difference.

Yes, "Celeste and Jesse" has an appealing cast, anchored by the charming Rashida Jones ("I Love You Man") and a less-goofy-than-you're used to "Saturday Night Live" star Andy Samberg (who is apparently trying to prove that he is more than the sum of his hit-or-miss digital shorts on "SNL"). It's also got a smart indie vibe, as director Lee Toland Krieger takes the trouble to avoid making his film look like every other romantic comedy ever made before.

Unfortunately, the often unmoored script - co-written by Jones and supporting player Will McCormack - isn't quite so inclined, displaying none of the edge the movie pretends to offer.

'Celeste and Jesse Forever' movie trailer Romantic dramedy set to open in New Orleans on Aug. 31.

Jones and Samberg play the titular couple, whose once-young love has given way to disillusionment, leaving them struggling to figure out how to move past their failed marriage. The cutesy catch? As bad a married couple as they were, they're an even worse separated couple, declaring themselves best friends while their divorce is pending and spending every waking moment together.

"It's just weird," their friends declare - and they're right.

The problem is it's easy to divorce from a legal standpoint. Divorcing from an emotional standpoint, however - especially when you still love and respect the other person - is an entirely different animal. That's something Celeste and Jesse didn't expect to be faced with when they separated, and so they cling together while trying to figure out how to several those ties -- heartbreaking though it may be -- and movie on with their separate lives.

That is the occasional breath of fresh air to be found in Toland's film, as its divorcing couple - rather than spitting at each other like venomous snakes -- actually behave like grownups, at least where their split is concerned. Their sense of humor, one the other hand, is often infantile to the point of being annoying.

Watching it, one can't help but think it ironic that Jones' created a character who is a trend forecaster by profession -- one who looks down her (admittedly cute) nose at the one-size-fits-all pablum that all-too-often passes for entertainment these days. Yet here she is stuck in a formula film in disguise, one that slips and slides around as it struggles to figure out whether it wants to be about Celeste or Jesse or both of them.

"Celeste and Jesse Forever" isn't a movie many people will outright hate, but if this is the most original romantic comedy that Hollywood can muster, forever can't come soon enough.


2 stars, out of 5

Snapshot: A romantic comedy-drama about a young couple who, in the middle of a amicable divorce, must figure out how to proceed in life without one another.

What works: It boasts an appealing cast and an appealing indie visual vibe.

What doesn't: Beneath it all, this is a formula film in disguise - and not a very good disguise at that.

Starring: Rashida Jones, Andy Smaberg, Ari Graynor, Eric Christian Olsen, Elijah Wood, Chris Messina, Emma Roberts. Director: Lee Toland Krieger. Rating: R for language, sexual content and drug use. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. Where: Find New Orleans showtimes.