PAPER HEART (2009)

Cast: Charlene Yi, Michael Cera, Jake M. Johnson, Martin Starr, Seth Rogen, Demetri Martin, Derek Waters

Directed By: Nicholas Jasenovec
Written By: Nicholas Jasenovec & Charlene Yi
Cinematography By: Jay Hunter
Editor: Ryan Brown


I was really rooting for this film, But I was left disappointed by the end of it. I can say that the film is original and definitely a clarity in it’s vision. There are even some scenes that are really good but after awhile what is supposed to come off as innocence and naïve soon feels smug and false.

It’s a documentary with a narrative mixed together. It tries to be meta like a lot of Charlie kaufman’s and michel gondry’s work only not as stylish. Though it does try to appear like a pulled by the bootstraps kitchen sink budget. The narrative becomes more and more uninteresting while the documentary part stays riveting. As the movie goes on though the documentary seems to fade and more time is spent on the narrative. but I can tell that if this was a pure documentary it would get tiresome at feature length running time. Which is why it seems that the filmmakers decided to add a narrative storyline and give a showcase to Charlene yi’s performance art. I would call it comedy which is what she calls it but it rarely is funny. As we watch a budding romance between her and Michael Cera.

I know people are getting tired of or annoyed by Michael cera’s awkward act but it doesn’t bother me as I guess I don’t expect anything different from him. It’s his comic personea, Just like when Jim Carrey tries to do drama but most people prefer him as the rubber faced physical comedian. I just think of his acting as a type like when you watch a Woody Allen film. Woody might not be in it but if it’s a comedy the lead actor usually plays a variation of the Nebbish Woody Allen type.

I like the artistic renditions of peoples stories but it would have been more interesting if each story got it’s own artistic style. Instead of the same budget ones here.

It’s like a Woody Allen film meet a Michel Gondry film with a Kevin Smith Budget.

The film is a interesting experiment that didn’t work for me, but I wouldn’t call it all around a bad film. It’s cute yet odd, not a quirky I like but a film that weighs heavy on quirks. Instead of solid filmmaking. In the end I was left unsatisfied. I really wanted to like the film. The ideas are there but the follow through left a lot to be desired.

It feels like a film that people who watch Art-Films but like to be snarky and criticize those same movies they watch and think they can make a better movie then get there chance would make.

Though I did really love the Soundtrack

Rent At Your Own Risk

GRADE: C