Paper Heart (DVD)

Paper Heart is presented as a light-hearted documentary, and indeed, much of it consists of real-life stories. Comedienne Charlyne Yi travels across America with director Nicholas Jasenovec, interviewing people from kids to chemistry teachers about their perception of true love. These interviews provide the film's funniest, strangest, and most touching scenes, with the encounters in a motorcycle bar and with an Elvis-impersonating minister from Las Vegas worthy of particular mention.

Along the way, during fictional scenes that are integrated into the film between the interviews, Charlyne meets Nick's friend Michael Cera (playing himself) at a house party, and before long the two begin dating. Nick (played in the film by Jake M. Johnson) says to Charlyne that this development is now part of the documentary, since it concerns a potential love interest, and thus the couple are subjected to constant filming that puts a strain on their relationship.

With the performers reportedly working from only five pages of story outline for the whole movie, these acted scenes are largely improvised, and their spontaneous feel fits very nicely and inconspicuously within the rest of the film. Cera is his usualm loveable, awkward self, and Johnson is excellent as the alternately easy-going and pushy director Nick. But this is Yi's film: in the lead role and as an interviewer she is engagingly witty, sunny, and tender.

"A quirky comedy", says Cera dryly during one early scene, having asked Nick what they're filming. "Just what America needs". Though many viewers may share this sense of apathy when faced with the prospect of watching Paper Heart, as it’s a film that certainly fits into that category, fear not: its big heart and easy-going nature mean that it manages to entirely avoid the smugness and obnoxious self-satisfaction of so many American indie comedies.

However, it does sit squarely on the cute and whimsical side of things, and for many, cute and whimsical is best served in small doses. This is the film's main setback. Another minor detail is that since Yi and Cera's unusual relationship is mostly played for laughs, and not developed too deeply. It's pretty unconvincing, and some of the later scenes are perhaps not as poignant as they might have been. Ultimately, though, you'd have to be rather mean-spirited not to forgive the film its flaws, and succumb to this admittedly slight but undeniably appealing confection.

If the film itself really doesn't provide you with enough indie cuteness, there's always the DVD's substantial special features. 'Paper Heart Uncut' and 'Love Interviews with the Comedians' are basically more of the same. Yi's live music performances, meanwhile, are good fun - there are a couple of videos of her on stage with an acoustic guitar performing comedy songs, and, more surprisingly, one of her gracefully playing a solemn and very beautiful instrumental piece on the harp. The 'Making-of' doc is interesting in terms of helping to clear up where reality and fiction begin and end. All in all, a satisfying package.

CLICK HERE to read our exclusive interview with Paper Heart star Charlyne Yi

Overall Verdict: An easy-going, likeable, light-as-air mix of improvised comedy and entertaining real-life interviews.

Special Features:
Paper Heart Uncut
The Making of Paper Heart
Live Music Performances by Charlyne Yi
"Heaven" Music Video by Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera
Love Interviews with the Comedians
Deleted Scenes
Trailer

Reviewer: Tom René