Paper Heart...........................Love?

Paper Heart
PG-13

This one is a little hard to describe and every sentence I start to form about it includes the word quirky.  So let me just get that out of the way.  Quirky, quirky, quirky, quirky, quirky.  In case you missed that, this film is quirky.

It is a documentary in which Charlyne decides to find out what love is. She claims over and over again that she doesn't believe in love and wants to understand.   She sets out to do so by interviewing people as she travels around the country.  During filming,  she meets Michael and she has some lessons on the topic that she wasn't expecting.

Charlyne, who really is the lynch pin of the film, is awkward and understated but endearing and you certainly feel for her and Micheal as their relationship emerges on film and they would clearly love to be rid of the cameras and crew.  One of my favorite scenes is in a diner when they are discussing what to order.  Charlyne, a vegetarian, says she is going to order a BLT without the B but with the P and C (pickles and cheese).  Micheal looks stunned and says something along the lines of "But the whole beauty of ordering a BLT is the simplicity of saying  BLT and them knowing what you mean."  (quirky- Sorry.  Had to slip in one more)

Things you need to know before viewing

1) Don't be surprised when puppets show up.  I am guessing the production was low on cash and this started out as a cheap way to show peoples stories.  First time they did it, I was like "What the heck!"  But by the end I was looking forward to them.  It was a really cute idea.


2) There is a totally bogus psychic scene where Charlyne goes to get a reading.  The folks involved find it bogus too and say as much but......yeah.......it's in there.


3) Don't expect a traditional ending.  This is real life.  Quests usually turn up more questions than answers.


4) Did you know that the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus does not have a synonym for quirky?


What about the kids?


There is one interview with a gay couple where they talk about having sex on the first date.  That could be uncomfortable with the kids and is likely the source of the PG-13 but is easy to skip.  Mostly, I think younger kids would just be bored.  


Currently available on Netflix Instant Viewing and on DVD and Blue-ray


Three Stars- "Liked It"