Paper Heart (2009)

In the field of quantum physics, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle states that two different qualities of a particle — its position and its momentum — cannot be measured simultaneously, for the act of measuring one quality will affect the accurate measurement of the other. This is corollary to another physics term, the “observer effect”: the act of observation itself produces change in the phenomenon being observed. For instance, a meter measuring the current or resistance in an electrical circuit will itself change those qualities to some degree merely by its presence, and a good meter hopefully compensates for that variance.

Charlyne Yi is an apple-cheeked young comedian and musician in Los Angeles who subjects herself to a cinematic version of the Heisenberg principle and the observer effect in Paper Heart, a charming and clever mixture of documentary, romantic, and comedic film styles. Charlyne, or “Char” or “Chuck” as her friends call her, is adorably cute, has apparently loving parents (seen too briefly in this film), and has talented friends like Demetri Martin and Seth Rogen. For a stage performer (also seen too briefly; the film doesn’t show enough of her background), she’s also surprisingly shy and easily embarrassed in her personal life, and feels she’s never been in love. In fact, she has doubts about the whole idea of love and whether it really exists. People tell her she’s lovable (and she obviously is), but she’s not sure she can be truly loved or be in love herself. So she agrees to be the host and subject of a documentary made by her friend Nicholas “Nick” Jasenovec (Jake Johnson, the only actor in the film not playing himself), filming her in L.A. with her friends and on a cross country road trip interviewing people from different walks of life about their thoughts and feelings regarding love.

She interviews an interesting variety of people on the subject, from newlyweds at their wedding reception to a couple married for 50 years. A biology professor at Texas Tech speaks to the physical and chemical reactions the human body produces when in love, but also admits there’s “magic” to love that cannot be measured. An Oklahoma City bar full of bikers shows her the kind of love they have for each other as well as their Harleys. And an interview with children on an Atlanta playground may not produce much deep insight about love, but it does produce some of the biggest laughs in the film. Some of the interview subjects tell their personal love stories directly to the camera, and Charlyne restages their tales with puppet shows that look like they were made with about $15 worth of elementary school art supplies, and they look ridiculous and cheap, yet are endearingly fun to watch.

Charlyne and the filmmakers periodically return to L.A., and one night she meets the actor Michael Cera at Nick’s place, and they gradually, tentatively begin a friendship. She’s very awkward around him, as though she’s trying to avoid seeing his affection or expressing her own. Michael even gets her to admit, during a lunch date, that she didn’t like him when she first met him. As the documentary gains its momentum, it begins to affect the position of the observed when Charlyne starts raising objections to Nick wanting to film her with Michael, and Nick counters that documenting her personal search for love was what she agreed to. Then, when Michael begins objecting to the filming as well, Charlyne’s filmed search for love may end up as uncertain as Heisenberg’s principle.

This fascinating, well-crafted film walks a fine line between documentary reality and staged drama, blurring it to near seamlessness. The interviews with real people, handheld camera work, and behind-the-scenes moments give the film a strong air of naturalism and honesty, which carries over to the believable emotions displayed in the planned and more scripted scenes. Charlyne conveys a lot of emotional truth through her facial expressions and body language, even her wardrobe, like when she wears a hoodie while sitting in a diner with Michael, as though she doesn’t want to be seen with him. Michael and Nick, in turn, play their moments with her so realistically that it’s very difficult to tell the staged moments and lines from the unstaged ones. That blurry, uncategorizable quality — was that bit real, or staged? — is a remarkable and refreshing accomplishment, and significant of the brilliantly understated work here by Charlyne Yi and her director and co-writer, the real Nicholas Jasenovec. They won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival for writing this “documentary”, and deservedly so. At times it reminded me of Ross McElwee’s 1986 Sundance classic Sherman’s March, a true documentary about the personal and sometimes humorous search for romance.

While ostensibly building a nonfiction film about attempting to quantify the idea of love — a rather absurd notion on its face, as nearly every book, song, or movie ever created has touched on that wide-ranging subject — Paper Heart actually delivers a surprisingly sweet and intimate romance that touches the heart and offers hope to those who seek love, observe it, and feel its momentum in their own lives.