The Phantom Tollbooth - Movies Reviews Index


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Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	Paper Heart If you are a young, up and coming, female entertainer trying to find true love in this crazy, mixed up world of ours where can you go? Easy, you grab a camera and head off across country looking for it, documentary style. Charlyne Yi and Jake M. Johnson star in this adorably funny film in which they search out people young and old and get their input on true love. Does it exist? How do you find it? How can you make it last? These are some of the questions Yi tackles in this latest project, Paper Heart. The film is a mix of fiction and real life that is woven seamlessly together creating a well done documentary with enough of a side story to make it a decent romantic comedy. The premise is quite creative and I have not seen anything like it. You have Charlyne playing herself going around shooting an actual documentary but at the same time the real life director (Nicholas Jasenovec) is played on screen by Jake M. Johnson. Throw into the mix Charlyne’s love interest (Michael Cera) who plays himself in the film and you sometimes have a hard time separating fact from fiction. Even now I am not so sure if what happened was staged or not. Regardless it is a witty and charming project. The reason this film works so well is Charlyne. You can’t help but adore her humor and upbeat personality. As she goes around interviewing kids, couples, bikers and Vegas preachers you witness her genuine spirit. This multi talented entertainer could pass as a freshman on a High school playground yet is a seasoned musician, actress and stand up comedian. It is her humble and sincere nature that make this film subject work. She doesn’t know if true love exists and has not experienced it herself. So it is a journey of self discovery in a way that only Yi could pull off. Paper Heart is rated PG-13 for some language. This is a delightful film and appropriate for anyone 10 and up. Sure it deals with love and elements that younger viewers may find too mushy. The interview segments with people from every age group make for some entertaining and thoughtful moments as they discuss their opinions and contact with cupid. It is a question we have all asked ourselves and for many the answers come slowly. Charlyne takes this topic to a fun and enlightening level that is sure to have you laughing and at times crying at just how we are all affected by this strange and wonderful emotion. I give Paper Heart 4.5 out of 5 Harley Rides. It isn’t quite what you expect but then that is the nature of love. So says Matt Mungle Matt Mungle (8/18/09) Review copyright 2009 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.