Culture

Directed by Nick Jasenovic
(4/5)

Charlyne Li (comedienne/actress/musician) doesn’t believe in love. She has never been in love, and thinks she probably never will be. To see what she is missing out on, she sets out on a trip across the U.S. with director Nick Jasenovic to make a documentary about love and the mystery surrounding it.
Very cleverly written, Paper Heart is half documentary film and half fiction. Starting off as a normal documentary, the film takes a twist when Charlyne meets Michael Cera (starring as himself) at a party. Charlyne doesn’t know who Cera is, and when they are introduced, she doesn’t take much of a liking to him. Despite this, Cera takes an interest in her and the two start seeing each other. Charlyne and Michael’s budding relationship becomes the main focus of the film, with the camera crew following them each date they go on. Awkward, huh ...
Charlyne talks to many interesting characters on her quest to find out about true love. She interviews members of a biker gang, celebrants at tacky Las Vegas wedding chapels, a couple of gay men, some old couples, scientists, and many others. Everyone has a different story and a different view on what love is.
Both being goofy and a bit awkward, Charlyne and Michael have great onscreen chemistry. The fact that Charlyne finds a boyfriend whilst making a documentary does not feel forced at all, rather a natural progression of her discoveries about love and all its wonders. A charming and quirky story about love in its many shapes and forms, Paper Heart is not cheesy or overly romantic. Funny yet sincere, it is a film that everyone will enjoy.