Review of Paper Heart (2009) by Mark H — 12 Apr 2010

Overly affected romantic comedy chronicles comedienne Charlyne Yi's trip across America as she makes a documentary on the subject of love. Along the way she meets actor Michael Cera playing himself.

These supposedly improvised scenes are so carefully prepared that the only joke is on the actors who think they're fooling anyone into thinking this is unrehearsed. The two stars do have some chemistry, but it's buried beneath such artifice that it renders any real emotion void.

As a romantic lead, Charlene is puzzlingly childlike, nervously gigging throughout the film at everything and anything. One of those quirky comedies that thinks it's cute to ask a ridiculous question and then cut away to a different scene before the audience can even hear the answer.

Self-conscious and precious.