Mix together an awkward comedian, a girl doubting the existence of love and a series of heart wrenching, adorable interviews. Marinate for 88 minutes in a pseudo-mocumentary and sprinkle with paper and wire figurine reenactments and voila, you have “Paper Heart.”
Starring Charlyne Yi of “Knocked Up,” the movie follows Yi, playing herself, on the quest to see whether true love really exists. In the beginning, we see Yi with her family and friends who explain that she has never bought into the romantic ideals of love, though many think that she is perfectly capable of finding it. In addition to her lack of romantic notions, Yi is also a highly quirky, tomboy character whose lack of self-awareness couples perfectly with co-star Michael Cera.
Cera plays himself and Yi’s love interest. In the film, the two have an awkward encounter at a party and their interactions bloom into the most loveably off-beat relationship of the summer. Truly, their combined ineptness is at times painful to watch and comparable to a middle school dance, and yet you still root for them to make things work.
Perhaps the most intriguing, albeit frustrating, aspect of “Paper Heart,” is the smudged line between reality and the documentary. With actors playing themselves and rumors swirling about Yi and Cera dating off-screen as well, it’s hard to make a judgment call on how much of this documentary is real. This was distracting at times because it is so tempting to watch it as though it’s an actual documentary and I was wishing that it was entirely true. The jury is still out on how much of Cera and Yi’s alleged relationship was a publicity stunt, but if they are as quirky on screen as they are in real life, I hope they can make things work because they’re perfect for one another.
Cera and Yi’s relationship aside, the film is framed by several interviews with people who believe in love for many different reasons. Yi interviews high school sweethearts, scientists who explain the biochemical reactions of love and infatuation, and a man who thought his ex wife was the love of his life. While watching the movie, I kept hoping that Yi would interview a few other younger people about love, but the interviews that are showcased are very sweet and genuine.
Throughout the movie, Yi periodically creates huge dioramas of paper and wire characters and marker drawn backdrops to illustrate a scene a character is narrating. Like the film’s characters, these scenes add to the rough, slightly alternative vibe of the film and give us a glimpse into Yi’s whimsy imagination behind her thick-framed glasses. “Paper Heart” is still playing at the Regal Green Hills 16 Showcase and if you need your doubts about love assuaged. It is not to be missed.
