LA Film Fest REVIEW: “Celeste and Jesse Forever” can’t make up its mind

June 22, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Reviews Leave a comment

Like the couple in its title, “Celeste and Jesse Forever” can’t quite make up its mind. Is it a broad, quirky comedy (which it’s pretty good at)? Or is it a serious and grounded relationship drama (which it’s also pretty good at)? The problem is that director Lee Toland Krieger comes up short when trying to put the two pieces together. There are movies that blend comedy and drama very well, but this isn’t one of them. The result is an enjoyable and thoughtful, but rather disjointed portrait of a couple who can’t move on from each other after a break-up.

Rashida Jones is terrific as Celeste and easily outshines Andy Samberg as Jesse. The two are introduced being disgustingly cutesy and inside-joke-ridden, so it’s a genuine surprise when the bombshell is dropped that they are actually separated and heading towards divorce, and what we’ve just witnessed are not flashbacks to happier times, but just the way they are, post-breakup. Having been best friends since they were young, the two see nothing wrong with how close they remain, though it weirds their friends – Ari Graynor and Eric Christian Olsen – out, and probably rightly so.

First Look: Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones break up in “Celeste and Jesse Forever”

December 6, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

More from Sundance! Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones headline quirky indie comedy “Celeste and Jesse Forever”, about a young married couple who decide to break up but attempt to maintain their long-standing friendship.

Caught up in the messy aftermath are an impressive ensemble cast that includes Emma Roberts as a young starlet who hires Jones’ Celeste to re-do her image, Ari Graynor as her best friend and Chris Messina as her co-worker who helps her get over Samberg’s Jesse, along with Elijah Wood and Sarah Wright in unspecified roles. Jones co-wrote the 2008 black list script with Will McCormack.

The first images from the film, which look like screen grabs from a trailer that will hopefully be released soon, are below. “Celeste and Jesse Forever” will premiere out of competition at Sundance next month.

Elizabeth Olsen, Brit Marling, Josh Radnor and more return to Sundance in out of competition premieres

December 5, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News 1 Comment

The most high profile of Sundance showings have been unveiled, with the Utah film festival releasing the names of the films that will be premiering out of competition next January. Unlike the competition line-up which consisted mostly of feature debuts and little-known directors and actors waiting for their big break, the out of competition is all A-list. This year’s line-up features such acclaimed directors as Spike Lee, Stephen Frears and Julie Delpy, as well as a homecoming of sorts to festival veterans like Elizabeth Olsen (who will again be represented in two films this year after breaking out in “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and “Silent House” last year), Brit Marling and Josh Radnor, who all return to the festival that made stars out of them in recent years.

Some early standouts after a quick skim of the new list include “Bachelorette”, a seemingly Hangover/Bridesmaids-type pre-wedding comedy starring Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan as old friends and James Marsden and Adam Scott as the guys in their lives; “Celeste and Jesse Forever”, a comedy about what happens after a couple breaks up but decide to remain friends, with Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones as the couple and Ari Graynor, Chris Messina, Elijah Wood and Emma Roberts their circle of friends; “Lay the Favorite” with Rebecca Hall, “Shadow Dancer” with Andrea Riseborough, and the aforementioned films with Olsen, Radnor and Marling: “Red Lights”, “Liberal Arts” and “Arbitrage.”

The full list of out of competition feature films and documentaries are below.

First Poster for “Friends With Benefits” with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis

May 24, 2011 | Posted by Lindsey Young in Images Leave a comment

Via ComingSoon.net, Screen Gems has released the first poster for “Friends With Benefits.” The film, directed by Will Gluck, features Mila Kunis as a single woman in NYC who embarks on strictly physical, non-emotional relationship with a friend (played by Justin Timberlake). Yes, it’s basically the same idea as the previously released “No Strings Attached” with Ashton Kutcher and Kunis’ “Black Swan” co-star Natalie Portman, but perhaps that’s where the similarities end. Judging from the previously released trailer, “Friends With Benefits” looks like it’ll relay the sex-without-attachment plot with more “adult-like” humor rather than Kutcher and Portman’s chick flick-esque version. Check out the poster below and click for an even bigger version.

Emma Roberts and Ari Graynor join indie dramedy “Celeste and Jesse Forever”

May 21, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Emma Roberts and indie darling Ari Graynor have joined the cast of romantic dramedy “Celeste and Jesse Forever”, reports Variety. The Andy Samberg-Rashida Jones starrer revolves around a young divorcing couple’s attempts to maintain their long-standing friendship. Chris Messina is also joining the cast.

Jones co-wrote the script with Will McCormack and the film will be directed by Lee Toland Krieger. Roberts, Messina and Graynor will all play cohorts of Jones’ Celeste. Roberts is a young starlet who hires Celeste to re-do her image, Graynor Celeste’s best friend from college and Messina a co-worker who helps her get over Jesse.

Roberts was most recently seen in “Scream 4″ and will next star opposite Freddie Highmore in Sundance hit “The Art of Getting By” (previously “Homework”). She’ll next film “Adult World”, playing an Ivy League graduate who finds herself stuck in a mundane minimum wage job. Graynor, a veteran of the indie genre in films such as “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist”, “Youth in Revolt” and “Whip It”, will next be seen as Anna Faris’ sister in romantic comedy “What’s Your Number?”.

Johnny Simmons joins a trio of films

April 27, 2011 | Posted by Lindsey Young in Casting Leave a comment

According to Variety, Johnny Simmons has landed a trio of roles. He joins the cast of Sony’s “21 Jump Street,” Summit’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and the indie flick “The Hand Job.” Simmons, who’s past credits include “Jennifer’s Body” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” will be sharing the screen with quite a few big names—Channing Tatum, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Andy Samberg, just to name a few. He can currently be seen on HBO in “Cinema Verite” and Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator.”

There are no specific details on any of the roles that Simmons will be playing, but presumably he will portray one of the fellow undercover cops along with Tatum and an actual high school student in “Perks” with Watson and Lerman.

Simmons will shoot “21 Jump Street” first, which begins production next month, then he will start on “Perks,” followed by “The Hand Job.”

Leighton Meester joins “I Hate You Dad” as Andy Samberg’s fiancee

April 1, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

“Gossip Girl” star Leighton Meester has joined Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg in comedy “I Hate You Dad”, according to Variety. The film revolves around a dad who moves in with his son on the eve of the son’s wedding, and proceeds to immediately begin a feud with his future daughter-in-law. Meester will play the fiancee/future daughter-in-law. James Caan also recently joined the cast to play Meester’s father.

Sean Anders and John Morris will director the film, was written by David Caspe with a rewrite by David Wain and Ken Marino. Sandler’s Happy Madison banner, which churned out many a signature Sandler comedy, such as “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore”, the films from which it takes its name, will oversee the production.

A regular on “Gossip Girl” since 2007, Meester was last seen in “Country Strong”, utilizing a surprisingly pleasant country singing voice, and last month’s horror #1 opener “The Roommate”. She has completed filming on tween-friendly comedy caper “Monte Carlo” and indie dramedy “The Oranges” opposite Catherine Keener and Hugh Laurie.

Watch: Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake in green band trailer for “Friends with Benefits”

March 16, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

Why yes, you have already seen this before. Despite Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher beating them to the punch a mere six months earlier with “No Strings Attached”, director Will Gluck, who gets some benefit of the doubt for being the guy who gave us “Easy A”, debuts his own sex-without-attachments comedy, “Friends with Benefits”. Also to the latter film’s credit, stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis (with similarly funny people like Emma Stone, Andy Samberg, Woody Harrelson and Patricia Clarkson pulling supporting duties) do seem more suited for the raunchier comedy style that would be needed for a movie about such an adult subject.

The new appropriate for all ages trailer does tone down the humor quite a bit, be sure to watch the previously released red band trailer for a better representation for the kind of jokes you’ll be getting two hours of when “Friends With Benefits” hits theaters on July 22, 2011.

Andy Samberg to play Adam Sandler’s son in “I Hate You Dad”

January 13, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

“Saturday Night Live” comedians have a long tradition of moving on to successful comedic film careers, but thus far, recent cast members and alums haven’t quite hit the stride of more iconic alumni like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Will Farrell. Andy Samberg, among the most popular of the current cast due in large part to the Digital Shorts on the show produced by his own three-man comedy troupe The Lonely Island, seems one of the most likely to succeed with a film career. He floundered with his starring feature debut, “Hot Rod”, found moderately more success in a supporting role, playing Paul Rudd’s brother in “I Love You, Man” and will now have another shot at co-headlining a film, opposite SNL-alumni-success-story Adam Sandler. Samberg will play Sandler’s son in “I Hate You Dad”, reports THR, despite the fact that Samberg is only 12 years younger than Sandler (and the age gap looks even smaller to our eyes).

The film revolves around a dad moving in with his son on the eve of the son’s wedding, and proceeds to immediately begin a feud with his future daughter-in-law. With no director on board yet, the story was written by David Caspe with a rewrite by David Wain and Ken Marino. Sandler’s Happy Madison banner, which churned out many a signature Sandler comedy, such as “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore”, the films from which it takes its name, will oversee the production.

Samberg continues to be a growing presence on SNL and will next be seen in the Anna Faris rom-com “What’s Your Number?”.

Will Larry, Curly and Moe finally be cast?

January 7, 2011 | Posted by Tamara Manne in Casting Leave a comment

Casting for classic comic icons, Larry, Curly and Moe, of The Three Stooges is still in the works. According to The Wrap it appears as though the new front-runners are Johnny Knoxville (Jackass 3D), who would take the lead as Moe, Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live) as Larry, and Australian comedic up and comer Shane Jacobson as Curly.

Previous candidates for the slapstick trio were veteran actors Sean Penn, Jim Carrey and Benicio Del Torro, though Penn and Carrey have both officially pulled out of the running. This casting switch could prove to be beneficial for the film, not only due to the younger actors strong comedic backgrounds, but also because they will appeal to a younger crowd, who may very well be unfamiliar with The Three Stooges.

This Stooges remake has taken quite a share of hits, including MGM, who originally began the project, filing bankruptcy. 20th Century Fox then took over with Peter and Bobby Farrelly set to direct. Co-written by the Farrellys and Mike Cerrone, the script seems to maintain the spirit of the original series, featuring physical comedy as the driving force throughout the film. They’re shooting for a start date of March 14.

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