Paper Heart

Does true love really exist? That’s the question at the center of Paper Heart, a sweet semi-documentary look at one young woman’s quest to find the answer. Charlyne Yi, who co-wrote the film with director Nicholas Jasenovec, stars as ‘herself’ in the movie and watching her interview people who say they have actually found true love in their lives is an absolute delight. The key is that Charlyne doesn’t have an agenda to her approach; she’s not a bitter woman out to prove love doesn’t exist or a doe-eyed romantic looking for affirmation of her own beliefs. Instead, she’s that rarest of cinematic creatures, an intelligent and curious young woman who honestly wants to listen to what others have to say. Her comic riffs on what she finds out are free of any cynical attitude, too, which is equally refreshing.
Of course, given its premise, it’s impossible not to think – or at least hope -- that Paper Heart will end with an answer to the question it’s been chasing for the past 90 minutes. And it does, in its own way, but like the rest of the adventure it takes you on, the ending isn’t too pat or predictable. It’s as charming as everything else.