Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)

4.9/5

Celeste and Jesse Forever turned out to be an unexpected treasure that sticks with you long after the credits close. Although I describe it as a treasure, the movie is about as far from a Disney "happily ever after" as you can get. In fact, it starts precisely after most rom coms would end, six years after best friends Celeste (Jones) and Jesse (Samberg) have married, and six months into their separation and impending divorce. It depicts a depressing, sobering take on relationships that don't work out, no matter how much we might want them to. It manages to charm and delight the audience while simultaneously tearing apart our heart. It flits between those two extremes like an expert Wes Anderson film, and I hate it for being so effective.

The title is misleading, because the movie is not about Celeste and Jesse, but about Celeste. It is a character study, and Rashida Jones gives a phenomenal performance. We see the whole breakup through her lens, and we see how much she hurts. We don't see how hard it is for Jesse; we only see snippets of him, snapshots in time. And it doesn't matter whether he's happy or sad, because whenever he comes back into Celeste's life is another crack in her armor, another arrow in her shield.

Much like a film noir, we know how it will end as soon as it starts. That doesn't make it predictable, but fatalistic. It is a torture, as we get ever closer to the final movement we know is coming but hoping never gets here. The chemistry between the two leads makes it that much more painful to watch. There is one scene I do not think I can ever forget, which is acted and filmed to heart-wrenching perfection. The two of them are sitting together on a couch, about to kiss, fighting their desires to do what is right and honorable, fighting what is good and true because of circumstance, fighting and fighting and--whether they succeed or fail--ending up with nothing. The whole movie is encapsulated by that one scene.

After all I said, you would think this movie was a weepy downer drama. It's not. It's a surprisingly fun romp, filled with levity and jokes galore, but it cannot gloss over its bleak undertone. And it manages to end with just the right amount of hope and light amidst the darkness. The movie is an exceptional one, despite some forgivable flaws, and one I highly recommend.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1405365/

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

3/5

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is just about as quirky indie as you can get. It stars Michael Cera as awkward Nick, the only straight guy in the gay punk band The Jerkoffs, and Kat Dennings as rich girl Norah, the daughter of famed music producer Ira Silverberg. Nick recently broke up with his girlfriend of 6 months Tris (who has also been cheating on him for 6 months) and is taking it pretty hard. He makes her mix tapes, which she just throws away, only to be picked up and adored by Norah. They meet at one of his band's concerts and Norah asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for five minutes. And so begins the night. And just like every teen romantic comedy, they fall in love, fall out of love, and both eventually redeem themselves and partner up again.

Aside from the eclectic, interesting music, nothing really stood out in terms of technical skills. The editing and cinematography were only okay. The plot progression was predictable, the dialogue was filled with the requisite awkward humor Cera often--or always--produces, and the characters were written with just enough oddball characteristics to make you think they might be real. It's the typical indie movie you expect to see based on the trailer, and nothing about Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist really makes it stand out from that genre. Still, it's an entertaining film without much distinctly wrong with it, so go check it out if you think you're gonna like it. You probably will.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/