Last week I saw Paper Heart at the Midtown Art Cinema. The documentary, or is it a story, is all about Charlyne Yi who’s “love glass,” according to Seth Rogen “is half full.” In regards to this whole love thing, she’s a skeptic. She’s not sure it exists and if it does she’s not sure she’s capable of falling for it or into it. So she sets out on the road with Co-Writer and Director Nick Jasenovec, who is portrayed by Jake M. Johnson, to find love. She goes all over the U.S. and talks to all sorts of people to find out what love is to them, how they knew when they were in love and how the whole love thing panned out for them. She talks to a divorced man, an Elvis impersonator at the Little White Chapel in Vegas, a psychic, a couple who fell in love because the woman heard the purr of his Harley, even a scientist. Charlyne worries she is incapable of falling in love and consults the scientist, perhaps she is devoid of the necessary chemicals for falling in love? But then a dashing young gentleman by the name of Michael Cera shows up and sparks fly…well in a very awkward kind of way.
Charlyne’s awkwardness is disconcerting and I know this is wrong of me because I love Michael Cera’s awkwardness. I think I just see potential with her and I want her to quit hiding behind her messy hair and over-sized hoodies. We get to see glimpses of her being adorable but only when she’s totally at ease, running down a steep hill to get away from the camera crew with Michael, playing with a crowd of kids on a playground in the ATL, shooting off firecrackers with Nick/Jake. Perhaps I’m more enamored with Michael’s awkwardness because he knows how to work it. He decides to order a Mexican Beach Salad at a diner because the waiter is sure to “look at me and think ‘oh this guy gets around.'”
I have to say, as a crafter the most spectacular parts of the movie were the narrations done with hand-crafted puppets. They were great. Their construction was visually appealing and they added a wonderful dimension to the story. My other fave part of the movie was Nick. I liked his character, low key, caring and not awkward at all. He’s the one I’d make friends with if I met these peeps.
The movie’s website rocks because you can play MASH on it. You type in all of your components and it generates the answers for you. This is what I got, perhaps not so far off from the truth-we’ll have to wait and see: Davis, Jewelry Designer, Atlanta, Volvo, Green, 3 kids. Hey but wait a minute, it didn’t tell me what kind of home I’d end up in and isn’t that the point of MASH (mansion, apartment, shack, house)? Oh well, still fun and really took me back to 2nd grade when I played this game religiously!
The movie does have a happy ending, but the whole thing is slightly offsetting because I don’t know if it is a documentary or fiction. Perhaps it doesn’t matter. It did make me smile after all.
a bardis 
I really want to see this movie! I am also curious to know if it is documentary or fiction but I know they are dating in real life. I guess it’s just weird that the “director” is played by an actor.