Celeste and Jesse Forever

Alex Cross and Deadfall are also available on DVD this week.

Flight

Denzel Washington is up for an Oscar for his performance as Whip, a pilot who miraculously lands his plane during a catastrophe, in Robert Zemeckis's dramatic disaster movie. Though he saves most of the flight's passengers, questions arise when it comes to light that Whip may have been under the influence while commanding the plane. The initial crash sequence may be traumatizing for those prone to flight fear, but once the action ends, the dramatic story gives way for Washington to impress in a subtle performance that can be difficult to watch at times. The DVD comes with featurettes and highlights from a cast Q&A.

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Celeste & Jesse Forever

Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones star as exes who still share a special connection after their marriage has dissolved. Their friends (including Ari Graynor and Eric Christian Olsen) find their relationship to be borderline inappropriate, but Celeste and Jesse are determined to stay best friends, until certain circumstances force them to decide to get back together or end their relationship for good. The movie is charming and relatable, and the leads are as endearing as the film's complementary soundtrack.

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One more release after the jump.

You might know that Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg play a divorcing couple trying to remain best friends in Celeste and Jesse Forever. What you probably don't know is that Rashida cowrote the screenplay with her good friend, Will McCormack, whom she dated briefly years ago. I recently sat down with Will and Rashida, who told me that their own relationship inspired the characters. Read our conversation below.

TrèsSugar: I noticed that Celeste was a more relatable and likeable "power woman." What clichés were you guys trying to avoid with her character?

Rashida Jones: There is definitely a cliché powerful woman in movies. She kind of has it all together, but she can't work out her love life. In our movie, you drop in and she has the guy and she doesn't want him.

Will McCormack: A lot of times in romantic comedies the heroine's life is falling apart, but she's still so cute! We wanted Celeste to just get down and dirty and for her heartbreak to be really heartbreaking and for it to be really ugly.

Rashida: I was insistent. That was my H&M sweater and I was like, "I want that sweater to be on her body for like a week in the movie," because you forget to change yourself and I really wanted it to look like she hadn't. Rashida of course washes her hair all the time. But we wanted it to look like Celeste hadn't bathed in a couple days and was just throwing on whatever was near her.

TS: As writing partners, friends, and exes, how much of the script was based on your relationship or past with each other?

Rashida: We dated for such a short amount of time, but really the essence of that relationship between Celeste and Jesse is very much like me and Will.

Will: I would say that Celeste and Jesse's friendship, kind of all of it, is the way that we are with each other; the intimacy and the shared history and all of the stupid little things they do with each other are things that we do. We just lifted our whole friendship and put it in a movie.

TS: Is Celeste brave or short-sighted to dump Jesse?

Keep reading for the rest of our chat.

Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg play the title characters in indie dramedy Celeste and Jesse Forever, who are a divorcing couple who want to remain friends. They find that it's tough to move on with other people while they hang on to each other, and their friends have a difficult time even understanding their relationship. Jones stars in and cowrote the movie, and her hard work has paid off in the form of a sweet, funny gem about the reality of relationships and complicated nature of love. I have a few different praises to sing about Celeste and Jesse Forever, which might make you fall for the film too, so read on to find out why I liked it so much.

1. You can relate to it no matter what your relationship status. Though the movie mainly depicts the issues of a broken-up couple, you get to see a wide variety of relationships. Aside from the main characters, Ari Graynor and Eric Christian Olsen play a lovey-dovey engaged couple who are friends with Celeste and Jesse, and when Celeste tries to date, we get an honest (if sometimes rough) look at dating. Whether you're single or coupled, there's probably a familiar scenario in the movie for you.
2. The soundtrack is fantastic. I haven't been this in love with a soundtrack in years; the film features the kinds of songs that make you sit up and take notice of them without jarring you out of the movie. The roster of artists includes up-and-coming indie bands like Porcelain Raft, and each dreamy tune perfectly complements the tone of each scene.
3. It spotlights a lot of under-the-radar actors. Samberg and Jones have palpable chemistry and strong scenes, but the eclectic ensemble of supporting characters really make the movie entertaining (and a fun game of Where Have I Seen That Actor Before?). Graynor always makes me laugh, and as Celeste's best friend, she's hilarious, as is her onscreen fiancé, Olsen. But wait, there's more: Chris Messina (who seems to be everywhere these days) also pops up to charm Celeste, while Elijah Wood and Emma Roberts are fun as characters who are occasionally over the top.
4. You'll have a new reason to crush on Andy Samberg. Fans of the Saturday Night Live star know how funny he is, but Celeste and Jesse Forever showcases how dreamy he is. As a laid-back artist, Jesse is also sensitive and loving, and it's easy to see why Celeste struggles with her feelings for him. The movie has a lot of laughs, but Samberg lets his costars crack more jokes than him while he lets his dramatic side shine.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Is it possible to love a movie just from its trailer? Because that's how I feel about Celeste and Jesse Forever, the indie dramedy starring Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones (who also cowrote the film) as exes who still hang out all the time. The former couple don't think it's weird that they still see each other every day, but they seem to be the only people who have that opinion, because all of their friends (including Ari Graynor and Elijah Wood) are either pointing out how unusual their relationship is or encouraging them to move on.

I like everything I'm seeing in this preview: Jones and Samberg look like they have amazing chemistry and the supporting cast is awesome (there's also Chris Messina and Emma Roberts). It also looks hilarious, even though it's not a straight comedy. The movie got great reviews at this year's Sundance Film Festival, so I can't wait to see Celeste and Jesse Forever when it comes out on Aug. 3. You can check out the trailer for yourself after the jump.

Celeste and Jesse Forever was one of the first films I checked out at Sundance this year, and I'm so glad I did. The cast, which features Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg as the titular characters, was enough to pique my interest, but the smart, relatable, script is what won me over. Here's more on what I thought of the film.

• Who's behind it? The film stars Andy Samberg, Rashida Jones (who also cowrote the screenplay), Ari Graynor, Elijah Wood, and Emma Roberts. It was directed by Lee Toland Krieger.
• What's it about? Jones and Samberg are Celeste and Jesse, high school sweethearts who have recently decided to separate. The only problem is that they're still BFF: he's living in her guest house, they're still spending all of their time together, and are still living in their own little world (much to the confusion of their circle of friends). Though it's clear that they're not ready to fully let go of each other, an unexpected circumstance forces them both to confront their feelings and make a final decision about their relationship.
• What did I think? This movie made me laugh and broke my heart, thanks to Jones and Samberg's chemistry and performances. There are plenty of amazing jokes and one-liners, but more than that, there's a very real story and commentary about how hard it is to let go of someone you love. Jesse and Celeste are so easy to root for, but the film is careful to keep the story real rather than veering into romantic comedy territory. It's also a breakout role for Samberg, who we've mostly only seen doing straight comedy. He's still a lovable goofball here, but he also proves that he's got the chops to handle more serious material. The film was bought by Sony Pictures Classics, so keep an eye out for it in theaters in the next year.

• Andy Samberg will play Rashida Jones's love interest in Celeste & Jesse — The Playlist
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• Will Sasso is now up for the role of Moe in the Three Stooges movie — /Film
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• The cast of Modern Family is coming to Inside the Actors Studio — The Ausiello Files
• Watch the trailer for The Setup starring 50 Cent and Bruce Willis — Movieline
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• A look back at Elizabeth Taylor's style — FabSugar