Paper Heart and Meeting Charlene Yi ¹

by Sinoun • Favorites, Reviews • Tags: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Paper Heart

Earlier this summer I attended the Montreal premiere of Paper Heart, starring Charlyne Yi (who incidentally was on hand to present the film – more on that later) and if you’ve seen the trailer, then the movie is pretty much everything you expect it to be: cute, clever, quirky, funny and original.

The topic itself wasn’t anything novel (it’s about “true love”), but the approach used to broach the subject was pretty unique – the combination of real life interviews with real people and the fictitious storyline of her own blossoming romance with the uber-swoonworthy Michael Cera (armored with his usual awkward charm). “Is Michael like that in real life?” an audience member asked after the screening. According to Charlyne he’s not – he’s actually much more confident and likes to sing Barenaked Ladies songs – good to know!

Honestly, I can’t really trust online resources anymore, because I’ve read everywhere that they were actually dating in real life. See, in the movie she unwittingly ensnares Michael’s interest and they embark on a bond. Then, in the trails of true cinematic fashion they encounter a conflict, which is foreshadowed by Charlyne’s visit to a psychic. I won’t spoil the ending, but after the movie a curious audience member asked “Are you guys still dating?” to which Charlyne replied “No, because we were never dating (in real life).” Huh? But Wikipedia said…  Well, there goes my faith in the Almighty Wiki.

Anyways, onscreen there was some really fun chemistry between the two of them with Michael easily setting hearts aflutter everywhere. He doesn’t induce a Robert Pattinson-type mania, but his appeal seems rooted in something more real – he’s perfected that guy-next-door schtick to a tee and that familiarity does indeed breed liking, if not all-out obssessing.

Airy and uninundated by heavy concepts, this light docu-comedy looks at love through question-marked glasses, inviting both humourous and absurd answers.  Charlyne’s query leads her to several states, from Oklahoma, to Georgia where she talks to highschool seniors about to tie the knot, bikers, divorcees, young kids on a playground, and some of her own friends, like Seth Rogen who ends his sentence with that contagious trademark teddy-bear laugh, which scores points from the crowd.

What I appreciated most about the movie was the genuine humour that arose out of subtle incidents – facial expressions, reactions, Charlyne’s personal oddities – the comedic moments don’t rely on the Sasha Baron Cohen brand of overly-outrageous gags, instead, they are crisp, clever and a tad self-conscious – which is very fitting for someone like Charlyne. Her presence at the screening really illuminated the human side of film stars; she was nervous the whole time but funny all the same, she’s also a bit strange which makes her cool in her own way. This personality quirk smoothly permeates the entire film, creating a charmingly offbeat experience for everyone involved, viewers included.

Below are some pics of my film buddy Jeff with Charlene. She admitted to being nervous about the film’s reception, unsure if anyone would like it. Jeff assured her it was awesome. Good job Jeff!