“Just what America needs, another quirky comedy,” says Michael Cera to Charlyne Yi  when he hears about her new documentary. Part documentary, part mockumentary,  part performance art and wholly enjoyable, Paper Heart is quirky and original, and very different from the slew of romantic comedies dropped on America this summer.

The idea behind the film is that actress/comedian Charlyne Yi does not believe in love and decides with friend Nicholas Jasenovec (Jake M. Johnson) to try to discover the true nature of love by talking to friends and strangers all over the country. The documentary parts of the film appear to be real.  Yi, Cera and actors like Seth Rogen play themselves, and ordinary Americans talk about love.  The parts about the making of the documentary are scripted, and some parts may be improvised. Although Nicholas Jasenovec is the director and co-writer (along with Yi) of the film, he is played by Jake M. Johnson. Yi and Cera appear to be playing some version of their real selves. The other scripted parts of the film show the burgeoning relationship between Yi and Cera.  Jasenovec insists on filming all of their interactions, and this puts a strain on their relationship. Could this be love?  Apparently Yi and Cera had a real life relationship but neither party wants to talk about it. The boundaries between actor and character are unclear, and this is part of the fun. 

Yi is wide eyed and sincere as she travels to a biker bar, a Texas courthouse, an Atlanta playground, a Las Vegas wedding chapel, Central Park and other places in search of the definition of love. She talks to scientists about the chemicals that produce love. She talks to a Vegas wedding Elvis, a group of young children, a gay couple in New York and several couples from Middle America, including one couple married for fifty years.  Some of the stories are funny and some are moving, but all are interesting. Yi uses homemade looking puppets (they are crudely made from cardboard, markers and wire hangers) to dramatize the stories. At first I found this hilarious, but as the film progressed I was surprised by how oddly affecting these weird puppets could be.

Yi does not look like the typical young Hollywood actress and this is part of her appeal. Her offbeat charm may not be for everyone, but Yi has deadpan delivery that is hilarious and also sweet. When asked if she likes to spoon, she responds earnestly, “What is that?”  Michael Cera seems to be playing a combination of all of his characters as he awkwardly tries to date Yi. Their lunch together made me squirm with discomfort because it seemed so real, but the scene is very funny. Yi gently toys with love’s clichés as she walks with Cera on a beach at sunset as the film crew follows her and urges the couple to “kiss or hold hands.” Cera and Yi have a real chemistry that makes their scenes fun to watch, and these characters (or actors) seem like a couple.  Handsome Jake M. Johnson plays Nick as protective of Yi (he calls her “Chuck”) and their relationship is as interesting as the relationship with Cera. Nick encourages the romance with Cera and tries to cheer Yi up when she has romantic problems.

Were Yi and Cera really a couple? By the end of the film, I still did not know, and in a way, it does not really matter. The closing scene of the film features the puppets, and the scene is over the top and wonderful. Early in the film, Seth Rogen asks Yi if she is afraid that she is unlovable.  He assures her that this is not the case, saying, “Your love glass is half-full.” I hope she fills that glass soon, and gets it all on film. 

Paper Heart.  Directed by Nicholas Jasenovec.   Charlyne Yi (Charlyne Yi), Michael Cera (Michael Cera) and Jake M. Johnson (Nicholas Jasenovec).  Overture Films, 2009.

 

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

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