Paper Heart

3 stars

Rating: PG
Stars: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake M. Johnson

Paper Heart may be heartwarming, but it isn’t hot enough to catch fire at the box office.

What's the story?
Charlene Yi (played by herself) doesn’t believe in, or understand, true love. Hoping to demystify the emotion, Yi sets out to make a documentary about it. However, a chance encounter with Michael Cera (also played by himself) will set off a chain of events that will teach her more about love and relationships than any interview ever could.

Why see it?
Love can be an elusive emotion, and most people will empathize with Yi in her quest to find out just what love is and how to know when you’re experiencing it. Aside from the subplot of Cera and Yi’s adorably awkward relationship, there are also many heartwarming interviews with a variety of couples that have found love in many unexpected places, including the divorce courts, a biker bar and a playground.

Who should skip it? Problems?
This is a relatively slow-moving story that doesn’t get much deeper than warm and fuzzy. There are no action scenes or underscoring political messages for people to get behind, and after a while, some may find that it just isn’t exciting enough for them. Also, the little paper puppets that are used to illustrate some of the stories don’t add much, and instead tend to break up the movie’s flow and give it a somewhat choppy feeling – although that was already accomplished by the shaky camera action, a gimmick which is quickly growing old.

All in all:
Paper Heart is cute and smile-inducing, but ultimately unfulfilling.