Skip to main content

A group review of "Celeste and Jesse Forever"




guess which is which? I'm John Ritter, you dummy!
 
 

Starring Kurt, Britt and Ursula.
 


Britt:  as much as I enjoyed Celeste and Jesse Forever, it is easy to write off the movie as a romantic comedy with weak characters. 
 





love means never having 2 grow up



Ursula:  Sure, Rashida Jones as Celeste can be seen as the high-strung,
controlling female character who's got her life together but doesn't
know what she wants.  And Andy Samberg as Jesse can be seen as the
sweet and adorable guy who never really grew up.

 
KurtAgreed. There has been a growing trend of intelligent "romantic
comedies" lately (Bridesmaids comes to mind), as much as that sounds
like an oxymoron. I'm not exactly sure if C & J fits that mold; it had
plenty of laughs, but it felt more grounded than other comedies I've
seen. It had more in common with Annie Hall than whatever crap Kate
Hudson's been in lately.


Glee?


Britt:  KATE HUDSON HAS DONE NOTHING LATELY!!!! (Glee and Matt Bellamy excluded) At best, Rashida Jones' (gahhh) first venture into screenwriting was a minor success. A lot of times, I was reminded of a glitzier, richer Liz Lemon. Where's the ranch dressing?

I love her.
Kurt:  Oh, I agree. Definitely some Liz Lemon antics going on. Is it odd that those moments felt more real to me than they probably should? But I think it was well balanced with some very insightful scenes. Also, loved the rest of the cast, too: Ari Graynor, Elijah Wood (adorable!), Emma Roberts (was she one of those Disney/Nickelodeon kid stars?). Most times, I feel a movie is as good as its supporting cast.


NICOLE KIDMAN CAMEO REFERENCE HERE (did that happen????)

Britt:  Emma Roberts to me made the movie as Ke$ha incarnate...who shows her
brain and soft side by the end. SPOILER ALERT



Ursula:  I do appreciate the understated ending to this movie, which finds
Celeste not perfect, not having figured out what she wants, and not
moving in any direction in particular, but at least somewhat accepting
of herself and her life.  There's no big moral to this story; I don't
think Rashida was trying to make a statement about women or love or
HOW TO MAKE IT WORK.  It's just a portrait of the weird way that love
happens, and falls apart, sometimes.  Real life is rarely formulaic,
and this film was an attempt to reflect the quiet chaos that most of
us deal with.


Britt:  The film was very realistic (granted I don't believe any of us have quite the bank account of these characters, neo-yuppies) and I was relieved to see Jesse and Celeste did not (another spoiler alert) get together in the end. Instead though, they have some disputes, drift away and drift back. Despite the characters both being established adults, they are also firmly girl-child and man-child. Which says a lot about where our generation is right now, I think. So many characters in popular film and TV shows seem to follow this trend. And it's a trend rightly out there in society; I see it in myself and peers alike.


~ ranch dressing ~

That being said, I don't think this movie deserved to be chewed up like it was by most critics.....it was a commendable first effort for the sublime Rashida Jones. Emma Roberts, I'm keeping my eye on you. Andy Samberg...tell Joanna Newsom I said hi. (p.s. I have a feeling that Andy and Joanna have a similar relationship as he did with the hot Belgian bitch. Veganzzz 4 lyfe!)
 




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Mon Soleil" - Ashley Park

If there's anything people take away from my piss-poor legacy, I hope it's what a huge, unabashed fan of "Emily in Paris" I am and will continue to be. People love "90 Day Fiancee," "The Bachelor," and other garbage - allow me "Emily," which is at least harmless, kind of goofy fluff (which does, unfortunately, lean into some stereotypes, as the country of Ukraine knows ). I have already watched Season 2 twice. And honestly my favorite part of this show (despite my crush on Camille Razart and Lily Collins channeling Audrey Hepburn hardcore ) is Ashley Park. This woman has superstar written all over her. She's a bona fide Broadway star, and "Emily in Paris" has served as her pivot into the zeitgeist.  "Emily in Paris" is also showcasing her vocal prowess front and center this season, with her covering BTS, "All By Myself," "Sympathtique," and Marilyn Monroe. But the real standout performance is th

"Anchors" - AM Higgins

Here's a nice breezy, almost sensual song from AM Higgins (the solo project of musician Annie Toth) to start your Tuesday off right.  Her debut album "Hymning" will be out November 5th on Victorialand Records. The album was mixed by Casey Foubert, a frequent collaborator of Sufjan Stevens. The album "captures the first years of moving from an American city to rural France." Sounds like "Hymning" will be a welcome escape from the world we live in right now, especially considering that Annie Toth counts poets Mary Oliver and Thomas Merton as influences.

Summer Playlist - 2022 Edition!

 It's truly the little things in life that make a world of difference. And for me, that means my summer playlist! Behold, I have put together 2022's edition. It includes cuts from artists like: - Mitski - Uffie - Johnny Orlando - Kylie Minogue + Jessie Ware - Florence and the Machine (who put out a fantastic album this year after a long dry spell of kind of "meh" records. Her pairing with Jack Antonoff worked out quite well!)  - Bilal - Harry Styles (he has some catchy music!)  - KATE BUSH DUH - And of course, Lana. It's also available on Apple Music, but since I recognize a lot of folks use Spotify, here's that link. Enjoy!