Paper Heart
Yi, a comedienne, musician and actress with a growing cult following in America, sets out to discover what love is and if it exists. Along with her friend and director Nick (Jake M. Johnson) and a camera crew, she travels across the US meeting everyone from hairy leather-clad bikers to pre-teen girls with a crush on Chris Brown to further her understanding on the complex matters of the heart. We are treated to some insightful interviews and anecdotes (accompanied by Gondry-esque animation) about love from a wide and colourful cross section of people.
Yet, the most intriguing development in Yi's understanding of love occurs in a chance meeting with actor Michael Cera at a party. The disarming, gangly Cera is instantly smitten with Yi and the two begin a charming, if almost childlike, romance. When the scrutiny of the cameras starts taking its toll on the couple, however, things look ominous for the relationship and Yi must confront her feelings and reluctance to believe in the power of love.
The mixture of fact and fiction in "Paper Heart" appears to work seamlessly; Yi's interviews with her subjects and her central love story with Michael Cera compliment each other well and feel organic, rather than a plot device. Yi is also an engaging and entertaining presence whose personality may grate on some, but works in the context of the film. Similarly, Cera feels like the perfect (some may say obvious) choice for the role of her love interest and is his usual likeable self, even if he is becoming increasingly typecast as the romantic lead in indie rom coms.
It may lack a little in substance, while the style of the film and Yi's humour are definitely not to everyone's taste, but "Paper Heart" is perfect for those looking for an alternative and entertaining take on the oldest subject in the book.