Strong and Moving!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

This movie is very much like Charlene Yi. It pretends to be something it's not, and doesn't quite succeed enough on any level. Is it a documentary? No. Is it a scripted movie? Much more so than it pretends not to be.By blending predictable, scripted and entirely acted romantic comedy elements in with what "appears" to be more standard documentary-style interviews, the viewer is left to wonder if anything they are seeing is real, and once that foundation of belief is cracked, the entire movie loses legitimacy. It's not good enough to be a documentary; it's not good enough to be a romantic comedy. Two negatives do not equal a positive.The movie borders on a saccharine-styled Blair Witch Project with better production values. Li further carries this deception into the real world, denying that she's dating Michael Cera, but then noting in other places that their relationship ended in 2009, conveniently as the movie is released. She also tried to create fiction around her age, pretending to be ten years or more older than Cera, even though she looks she could sit in a high school geometry class. This leaves us to wonder, Why? The deception adds nothing to the movie plot, it's not a cutting-edge move, it's really nothing more than an annoyance.From the acting side, Li's cutesy nerd style plays well at the start, but wears thin as the movie progresses. Cera is normally a solid actor, but interesting his scenes are the ones where it's most obvious the movie has drifted from faux documentary to a clearly acted and scripted production. It's a bit unsettling.It's not unwatchable, there's even one or two points where it's almost charming, but many viewers are going to walk away feeling a bit flat, and a bit played.You don't need to dive to find the remote to turn this movie off it it happens to show up for free on your TV. Yet you're not missing anything if you make it through your earthly existence without seeing Paper Heart. It's mildly entertaining, but just as easily could have been produced by a second-year NYU film student.

The most disturbing part of this film was that it was hard not to feel that Michael Cera was acting his romantic part in this pseudo- documentary and that Charlyn was truly falling for it. On the surface it appears as though Charlyn wants to make a documentary about how she doesn't believe in love, but sets out on a trek across country trying to find out what it means to other people. All the while, I got the impression that the director had an agenda all his own, desiring to manipulate Charlyn into falling in love during the making of this film, Michael Cera being the catalyst. It is uncomfortable to watch from this perspective. It exploits this homely characters weaknesses. I can see these men conspiring behind this innocent girl's back, proving to the viewer and to herself that she is capable of love, but that nobody had yet given her the time of day, or the opportunity for love. Regardless, Michael Cera's effortless approach serves only to exacerbate this perspective. All this desperate girl really needs is the slightest bit of attention to fall in love. Her stubborn refusal to admit she is in love with Michael as her supposed friend traipses her around Paris for 12 hours in her weakest frame of mind just adds to the humiliation of it all, especially considering the scene where Cera walks her around the grocery store for a half hour trying to decide what to make for her to eat, settling on a frozen cheese pizza. So pathetic, you begin to wonder if she even has a mind or will of her own. Her friend/actor makes vague suggestions to perhaps be more feminine, or bathe, and that perhaps men would be more interested in her. She ends up awkwardly on Michael Cera's porch, like a lost puppy dog trying to find home. She fell in love and got her heart broken before she even knew what hit her. Oh, and the psychic was right.I'd call this a nerdxploitation film.

I didn't know what to expect when I sat down to enjoy this movie, but it sure wouldn't have been what I got. There are 3 actors in this movie, written and made by the three actors, and all the rest are "himself" or "herself", where real couples talk about their own definitions of what love is."Will I ever find love" is the theme, and Charlyne Yi as herself sets out to answer that question. The film is done in "mockumentary" style, and the "chance meeting" of Michael Sera is really part of the script.Michael Cera, actor, is Michael Cera. He begins to take an interest in Charlyne (pronounced Charlene) and as they begin to get more comfortable with each other the camera and director of the "documantary" follow them around.Jake M. Johnson actually plays a role, as Nicholas Jasenovec who in reality is the director of this film.All in all I found it interesting, but in the end an unfulfilling "movie" experience. On DVD.

Charlene Yi a writer & comic actress co-wrote this documentary style film on the meaning of love.Nicholas Jasenovic directed & is the other co-writer.It had a short run on about 50 screens late summer 2009.Seeing it on DVD this evening, I did enjoy it BUT would have been disappointed if I saw it in a 'multi-plex'. Years back films of this nature would have been on the lower half of a double bill or had Vaudeville skits with it.It is nice & pleasant,. she travels around the country asking various peoples if they have ever found true love.Micheal Cera a promising new actor is featured as himself, he & Charlene did have a romance during the filming. The 2 of them wrote much of the music, it too is pleasant. Very good camera work & nice setting.This is a worthwhile minor rental. You may not love it BUT you definitely wont hate itRatings: *** (out of 4) 81 points out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)