Rated PG-13
(Some language)
1 hour 28 minutes
Storyline:
Charlyne Yi embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn't fully understand: Love. This is part mockumentary part actual documentary.
Cast:
Charlyne Yi
Michael Cera
Jake M. Johnson
Critics Grade:
C-
(Consensus: Equal parts charming and refreshing, Paper Heart is a quirky mockumentary led by the endearing Charlyne Yi.)
My Grade:
B-
Paper Heart can be kind of a confusing film. It is advertised as a documentary, and in certain aspects, this is a documentary. The main storyline about Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera (who both really play themselves) building a slow relationship is all staged. The guy playing the director of the film (Nicholas Jasenovec) is actually played by Jake M. Johnson, while Jasenovec is busy directing the film within a film. It's all quite confusing when you read all the back story to the film. Everyone outside the three main actors in the film...are 100% real and their stories are 100% authentic. Yi really is interviewing these people, and she really is trying to do a documentary on what love is and what it means to different people. Just inside that documentary is a scripted storyline that ties in with the documentary subject...mainly to accent the film and prove it's point. The real life stories blending with the scripted one all got a little blurry and muddled at certain points, but overall it was done pretty well.
All the stories featured in the film (the real ones) are so sweet and so charming. Some of them bring tears of happiness to your eyes (but not for this tough guy reviewer!!). There stories truly make you think about love in all aspects. Love of friends, love from family, love of a boyfriend/girlfriend. These tales make you ponder your life and what love means to you. It made me question if I really knew what love was (in all of it's many versions), and the answer is: I don't know. I've never felt love from a relationship standpoint (I've never even been on a real date!). I know my family loves me, and I love them. And I know love from friends. The movie and it's true stories really just open your eyes. They showed all walks of life: couples who have been together for 30 years, new couples, gay couples, divorced couples, even children are interviewed about what they think love is (really cute scene!). This part of the film was brilliant, and I loved it. I loved the authenticity of these people and it was captured so warmly and was really heartfelt.
The fake story, about Yi (Knocked Up, Semi-Pro) and Michael Cera (Superbad, Year One) was overall pretty tastefully done. The writing was not cliched and it actually did come across as realistic for the most part. I found their relationship to be believable and sweet. The main issue is that you can clearly tell they are acting. I'm not knocking their acting though, because they were both really good in their roles. Yi was super charming and charasmatic, and you cannot help but love the hell out her. She fills the screen with such happiness and joy, and her performance is actually one of my favorites so far this year. Cera has become typecast as the awkward nerd funny guy. Here he actually plays himself which is a nice distraction from his typical roles. He was really good, I have to give him that. He was funny and subdued, and came off as a pretty cool dude. Their story was well written and the scenes of them together were superbly acted, but that's the only downfall...you know they are acting. Yi comes off as more "real" than Cera does in these scenes. Overall it wasn't THAT much of a distraction.
This is just a solid movie that isn't fantastic but is not bad at all. I would totally recommend this movie to my friends. This could actually be a pretty good date movie. It's not a sad or grim look at love, it basically accents all the positives about love. Done so quite well. It's just a fun movie that I enjoyed watching through and through. Not a brilliant or highly original film, but good nonetheless. Good performances from the actors, and touching stories from the real life people. Sure...go rent Paper Heart!!
All the stories featured in the film (the real ones) are so sweet and so charming. Some of them bring tears of happiness to your eyes (but not for this tough guy reviewer!!). There stories truly make you think about love in all aspects. Love of friends, love from family, love of a boyfriend/girlfriend. These tales make you ponder your life and what love means to you. It made me question if I really knew what love was (in all of it's many versions), and the answer is: I don't know. I've never felt love from a relationship standpoint (I've never even been on a real date!). I know my family loves me, and I love them. And I know love from friends. The movie and it's true stories really just open your eyes. They showed all walks of life: couples who have been together for 30 years, new couples, gay couples, divorced couples, even children are interviewed about what they think love is (really cute scene!). This part of the film was brilliant, and I loved it. I loved the authenticity of these people and it was captured so warmly and was really heartfelt.The fake story, about Yi (Knocked Up, Semi-Pro) and Michael Cera (Superbad, Year One) was overall pretty tastefully done. The writing was not cliched and it actually did come across as realistic for the most part. I found their relationship to be believable and sweet. The main issue is that you can clearly tell they are acting. I'm not knocking their acting though, because they were both really good in their roles. Yi was super charming and charasmatic, and you cannot help but love the hell out her. She fills the screen with such happiness and joy, and her performance is actually one of my favorites so far this year. Cera has become typecast as the awkward nerd funny guy. Here he actually plays himself which is a nice distraction from his typical roles. He was really good, I have to give him that. He was funny and subdued, and came off as a pretty cool dude. Their story was well written and the scenes of them together were superbly acted, but that's the only downfall...you know they are acting. Yi comes off as more "real" than Cera does in these scenes. Overall it wasn't THAT much of a distraction.
This is just a solid movie that isn't fantastic but is not bad at all. I would totally recommend this movie to my friends. This could actually be a pretty good date movie. It's not a sad or grim look at love, it basically accents all the positives about love. Done so quite well. It's just a fun movie that I enjoyed watching through and through. Not a brilliant or highly original film, but good nonetheless. Good performances from the actors, and touching stories from the real life people. Sure...go rent Paper Heart!!
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