Paper Heart
Paper Heart (August 14) - Charlyne Yi says she cannot love. But she wonders why others can, so she sets out with her friend Nick to go around the country and make a documentary about it. She interviews bikers in Oklahoma, wedding chapel operators in Las Vegas, science professors in Lubbock, little kids in Atlanta, and they all share their thoughts on what love is and how it's affected them. When it comes time for the subjects to tell their main stories, they are hilariously re-enacted in oversize dioramas with stick figures, cardboard props, and plastic wrap backgrounds. The stories are interesting, the composition is nice, and just by itself it would be fun to watch.
But there's more. Along the way, Charlyne or some version of Charlyne meets Michael Cera or some version of Michael. (The film is scripted.) As they date and become close, the cameras continue following her around because now Charlyne is part of the story. The question becomes what will happen to someone who claims they can't love anyone when your eyes are telling you differently?
If you keep up with things like this, Charlyne and Michael were a couple before and during this movie, then broke up (allegedly) right before it came out. If you want to believe that it's a publicity stunt, then there's nothing more to explain. But if they really did break up, it makes Paper Heart even more interesting. The movie ends uncertainly, just like a story in real life does. But then the director decides he wanted a more upbeat ending, so Charlyne makes a ridiculous diorama Hollywood-style ending for him, and roll the credits. This is the effortless happy ending everyone wants to believe is out there for lovers. But there aren't any endings like that - either you break up, or you have to work hard to keep the flame burning. If Charlyne already understands that, then you have to wonder if she's just being obstinate when she says she can't love anyone, because she already knows more about how it works than a lot of people who are older and supposedly wiser.
But there's more. Along the way, Charlyne or some version of Charlyne meets Michael Cera or some version of Michael. (The film is scripted.) As they date and become close, the cameras continue following her around because now Charlyne is part of the story. The question becomes what will happen to someone who claims they can't love anyone when your eyes are telling you differently?
If you keep up with things like this, Charlyne and Michael were a couple before and during this movie, then broke up (allegedly) right before it came out. If you want to believe that it's a publicity stunt, then there's nothing more to explain. But if they really did break up, it makes Paper Heart even more interesting. The movie ends uncertainly, just like a story in real life does. But then the director decides he wanted a more upbeat ending, so Charlyne makes a ridiculous diorama Hollywood-style ending for him, and roll the credits. This is the effortless happy ending everyone wants to believe is out there for lovers. But there aren't any endings like that - either you break up, or you have to work hard to keep the flame burning. If Charlyne already understands that, then you have to wonder if she's just being obstinate when she says she can't love anyone, because she already knows more about how it works than a lot of people who are older and supposedly wiser.