Celeste ( Rashida Jones ) and Jesse ( Andy Samberg ) have what appears at first to be the perfect modern relationship . The two have known each other since the 10th grade , but never take each other for granted . They 're warm , responsive , and fun-loving , with lots of shared rituals and cutesy little private games . Out to dinner with their best friends ( Ari Graynor and Eric Christian Olsen ) , they talk about what they 're going to order by lapsing into showbiz World War II Chuhmin accents ( clearly a favorite routine of theirs ) , which allows them to tweak each other 's foibles -- like who 's going to do more mooching off the other 's plate -- while keeping the interaction light . These two are so funny and affectionate , so made for each other , they 're not just friends or lovers . They seem more like newlyweds . And by the way ... they 're getting divorced . Huh ? `` Celeste and Jesse Forever '' throws us that curveball early on , and it establishes the movie as a romantic comedy powered by a question as novel and provocative as the one that drove `` When Harry Met Sally '' : Can a man and woman be friends ? The question here is more along the lines of : Can a man and woman who were more than friends realize they still might be ? So why are Celeste and Jesse splitting up ? We hear the rationale in bits and pieces , and it does n't sound all that major -- mostly issues of unequal careers . She 's a celebrity trend-spotter , he 's a gifted graphic artist who 's doing ... not much . He 's a passive underachiever . NBC defends Olympics coverage . Initially , I fought the film 's premise . I thought : Could n't Jesse try a bit harder ? Could n't the two get some couples therapy ? That , however , is all part of the movie 's design . Even when Celeste and Jesse start dating other people , they are still hooked on each other -- and maybe that 's what they need to let go of . We 're not quite certain , since Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones forge a connection so rich in chemistry and personal nuance . Samberg , taking on his first role that 's more dramatic than comedic , is intensely compelling ; he uses his big , wide , open features to play Jesse as a dude bristling with an ironic cleverness that ca n't mask his feelings . And Jones , who was so winning in `` I Love You , Man , '' makes Celeste a study in engagingly high-functional yuppie self-delusion . She wants to control everything , including her romantic impulses . Only that 's not how it works . 'Red Dawn ' photos : It 's Thor and Peeta ! `` Celeste and Jesse Forever '' bounces along with nimble invention , from a photo montage that colors in an entire romantic history to the hilarious scene in which Celeste , increasingly jealous , gets caught going through Jesse 's garbage can . I wo n't even hint at what happens , since the movie keeps taking us , like its characters , by surprise . I will say that it 's been a while since a romantic comedy mustered this much charm by looking this much like life . A- . See the full story at EW.com .
`` Celeste and Jesse Forever '' bounces along with nimble invention . The film is a tribute to the late director John Carpenter, who died in 2010. Jones makes Celeste a study in engagingly high-functional yuppie self-delusion .