Mind of Migg

This past week at the LA Film Festival, I was able to catch two short film segments early in the week, and two indie films later in the week. Overall the short films were very good. Some really stood out as great, while others left a little to be desired, but all were well done and professional. As far as the two features, I had seen trailers for both films and was anxious to catch them. First up, was Paper Heart.

Paper Heart combines real footage with a fictional narrative. The premise is about a young girl, Charlyne (most of the actors just use their real names) who doesn’t believe in love. So she goes around interviewing different people across the country and getting their thoughts on love. At the same time, while she’s back home in Los Angeles, she meets Michael Cera at a party (the fictional part of the story) and the two develop a romantic relationship.

The movie completely works mixing in the two aspects together because of the performances of Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera. They are both awkwardly hilarious and had great chemistry. The interviews with real people and their love stories was entertaining too. It didn’t mock the people the way Borat did, it took them seriously, no matter how sappy or silly the people were. There was also some creative footage mixed in with the stories that made it more entertaining. The movie never slowed down and never felt out of place moving between the cross-country interviews and scenes in LA.

The director, Nicholas Jasenovec, as well as Charlyne were in attendance for a Q&A after the screening. She was hilarious in real life too. She was just like the character she played in the film, and I’m pretty sure she was even wearing the same red jacket. It’s fun to hear the creators of a film right after watching it. It gives you an even greater appreciation for it. I highly recommend Paper Heart when it comes out later this summer. I plan to catch it again. It’s a sweet and fun comedy that’ll brighten your day.