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Movie Review: Paper Heart

Ilan Mester — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:02:32 +0000

If “Paper Heart” doesn’t find a way into your heart, then you may just have the same problem Charlyne Yi has in the movie: the inability to understand love.

In this mockumentary that mixes reality with fiction, Yi goes on a quest across the United States to try and figure out this crazy little thing called love (but of course, with an abundance of awkward humour along the way).

The film kicks off with Yi in the midst of Las Vegas, approaching strangers and asking them about love. This continues throughout the entire movie as she goes from state to state trying to figure out what love feels like, and it seems like it’s something everyone from bikers to little kids, novelists, divorce lawyers and celebrities have a say in.

This is the premise of “Paper Heart,” a film Yi co-wrote, executive produced and stars in. However, the movie isn’t just about Yi interviewing Americans about love. See, the cameras don’t just follow Yi during her interviews, they’re supposedly rolling around the clock, including a party where she meets Canadian funnyman Michael Cera (who like Yi, plays himself in this movie).

This really shakes up the film as now her quest to find love reaches a new personal and urgent level. As usual, Michael Cera plays the same uncomfortable character he always does, but he’s clearly great at it so I’m not one to complain. However, this time he’s been paired up with someone equally (if not more) socially inept: Yi. Together they create unconventional movie magic moments (which is really refreshing) and will definitely have you laughing.

Yi is such an awesome dork in this film that she’ll make any geek feel cooler than John Travolta in “Grease.” Speaking of Johns, Jake M. Johnson deserves a pat on the back for playing the film’s real-life director and co-writer Nicholas Jasenovec. It’s a really cool concept for the director of the film (or rather an actor playing the director) to literally be involved on-screen with the movie as one of the cast members. This adds this sort of fake rawness that gives “Paper Heart” its edge. Him and Yi share very funny moments, like when she tells him she thought her ex-boyfriend was in love with her by the way he stared at her, then realized he was “just on drugs.”

It’s clear this movie was made on a low budget, but Yi and Jasenovec’s creativity didn’t let the lack of dough affect their film’s quality. The comedian used puppets she made with her own two hands to illustrate some of the true-life love stories of her interviewees. And before judging the puppets, note that these are some of the coolest and most artistic ones you’ll ever see!

“Paper Heart,” which won Sundance’s Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, has been getting a lot of buzz, partly because of Yi and Cera’s rumoured off-screen relationship (which Yi has publicly denied), but it’s a movie that stands on its own — regardless of them dating in real life or not. And if that hasn’t sold you, cameos by Seth Rogen, Paul Rust and Martin Starr may do the trick.

Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi ‘Weren’t Dating’

Ilan Mester — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:33:38 +0000

After Star magazine reported Canadian funnyman Michael Cera had dumped his “girlfriend,” comedian Charlyne Yi after dating for three years, Yi set the record straight to Moviefone.

“We weren’t dating at the time … or ever,” Yi said of the time her and Cera spent together shooting the mockumentary “Paper Heart.” “I also heard that we broke up. Someone sent me an article that said I was really sad. It says that I’m sad that we’re touring together. But he’s actually in Toronto right now filming a movie called ‘Scott Pilgrim.’ So that’s interesting.”

Yi, best known for her role as a stoner in the Judd Apatow movie “Knocked Up,” makes her feature film writing debut with “Paper Heart.” The movie follows Yi (who claims not to believe in love) on her quest to understand the very thing she doesn’t understand.

Stay tuned for andPOP’s review of “Paper Heart” this Friday!

Kevin Spacey Sets Record Straight About Facebook Movie

Ilan Mester — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:35:19 +0000

After the hit gambling movie “21,” Kevin Spacey is once again teaming up with author Ben Mezrich to produce “The Social Network,” an adaptation of the the new book “The Accidental Billionaires.” The book tells the story of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.

There have been rumours that actors including “Transformers” star Shia Labeouf, Canadian Michael Cera and “I Love You, Beth Cooper’s” Paul Rust are up for the lead role. However, in an interview with MTV News, Spacey set the record straight and said no one has read for the part.

“I can’t imagine anyone’s read for it because we haven’t really announced the director…So I don’t think anyone’s read for it. Maybe in their fantasy they’ve auditioned for it,” he told MTV News.

Although an official announcement has not been made as to who will be directing the flick, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” director David Fincher is reportedly set to direct the movie.

Spacey said the story is “very filmic, very modern, very cool” and that they could be shooting the film “this year”.

Movie Review: Year One

Eric Emin Wood — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:05:08 +0000

I hadn’t seen the trailers for Year One. I wasn’t expecting a “Jack Black” movie; for me the most important name in the credits was director/co-writer Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day).

Year One begins with a boar hunt; not as convincing as the one in Apocalypto perhaps, but credible nonetheless. For two brief, shining minutes I thought here was a movie that understood that most important and least followed rule of comedy: the more seriously the participants take it, the funnier it is.

Then a hunter played by Horatio Sanz is hit with a spear, the type that if thrown properly would have gored him. It barely scratches his shoulder, and after discovering Sanz isn’t a boar, Black apologizes for throwing it. He sounds exactly like the Jack Black we’ve seen in countless other films (King Kong excepted), and if the movie began here I would have found myself wondering what he was doing dressed as a caveman.

Michael Cera sounds exactly like the character we’ve seen in countless other films too – which, as a coworker pointed out, is odd, because he played a completely different character in his breakthrough, Arrested Development.

Soon Black is thrown out of his village for eating the fruit of knowledge. He accidentally burns the village as he’s leaving, so everyone else has to leave too. Rejected by the girl of his dreams (Juno Temple), Cera’s character soon follows.

At first, Black and Cera continue to stumble across some bible stories: they witness Cain (David Cross) accidentally murder his brother Abel (Paul Rudd); they prevent Abraham (Hank Azaria) from sacrificing Isaac (Christopher Mintz-Plasse); and they journey to Sodom, which you might think they end up burning to the ground (at least, I did). But no; 40 minutes in, the bible angle finishes. Black and Cera wind up in Sodom (along with, coincidentally, the rest of their tribe), and stay there.

Like all viewers, critics are biased; I have a soft spot for dumb comedies, am critical of religion, and appreciated seeing a movie whose central thesis (if it has one) was, “what if there is no God?” I like Cera, and Black in the right material, and accepted their pseudo-stoner dialogue without difficulty.Year One is more genial than funny, but its lightweight story is enough to string us along, and you can tell the actors were having a good time. I’ll admit I laughed occasionally, and when I wasn’t laughing or closing my eyes I smiled much of the way through.

Unfortunately, biases run both ways, and I have a big one when it comes to comedy: I hate toilet humour.

Despise it.

To this day I’ve never seen “classic” scenes such as Leslie Mann vomiting shrimp all over Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, or the “pale ale” in American Pie. I accept that on a conceptual level it serves its purpose (it makes the characters painfully human) and a segment of the audience finds it funny. In an otherwise wonderful movie, I’m happy to close my eyes for a moment and move on.

In Year One, however, something disgusting happens every 20 minutes: Jack Black examines (and eats) a pile of shit; Michael Cera, while hanging upside down, pees on his face (judging from Black’s lines, some of it lands in his mouth and nose); a man sharing a bed with Cera proudly farts repeatedly. In a major supporting role, Oliver Platt plays a high priest who’s extremely hairy, and the camera lingers while Cera is forced to slowly rub oil all over his chest.

Does a majority of the audience actually find this funny? I thought nothing could top the running gag involving gum thrown up at Penn Station in last year’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Once again Hollywood proved me wrong.

There are other problems – Mintz-Plasse’s Isaac is wasted, while Cross’s Cain remains onscreen long past his sell-by date; Black’s love interest (June Diane Raphael) falls for him even though he repeatedly forgets about her, jokes about her parents’ deaths, and would happily dump her for Sodom’s princess (House’’s Olivia Wilde) – but they pale in comparison to the film’s desire to shock.

I enjoyed parts of Year One because I kept hoping it wouldn’t disgust me again (the shit-eating scene comes at the beginning; the Michael-Cera-pissing-on-his-face scene near the end). You’d have to pay me to see it a second time, and during that repeat viewing I would get up ten minutes into the movie and never come back.

No ‘Arrested Development’ For Cera – Yet

Ilan Mester — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:41:49 +0000

It’s official, the highly anticipated “Arrested Development” movie is happening, “For once and for all, the Arrested Development movie is happening” Will Arnett told E! Online.

But there’s still one question that remains unanswered: will Canadian actor Michael Cera be joining the cast?

“I hope so,” producer Mitch Hurwitz told E! Online. “We’re just trying to get all the actors on board.”

Jason Bateman, Cera’s co-star on the show, told E! Online Cera is still considering the offer, “I know he’s thinking about it. And we’re all awaiting some finality to all of that so Mitch can get writing.”

The question is: why is his decision taking so long? Bateman answers E! Online, “He’s certainly not said that he won’t do it. I think Michael is clearly the guy that has come out of ‘Arrested Development’ with a very big plate, so I think he’s trying to really give some responsible thought to what makes sense for him to do with his career. The guy is 20 years old and I’m sure he doesn’t want to screw up this opportunity.”

New Michael Cera Movie Bound For Sundance

Eva Lam — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:47:48 +0000

Michael Cera and girlfriend Charlyne Yi have teamed up for an unconventional comedy that is expected to debut at next year’s Sundance Film Festival.

“Paper Hearts,” which is part-documentary, part-scripted, focuses on the relationship between Cera and Yi, a comedian who has appeared in such movies as “Semi-Pro.”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, music is a key theme in the movie, much like Cera’s recent “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist.”

Nicholas Jasenovec, who has worked on several Judd Apatow titles, makes his directing debut.

Cera and Yi also sport an Apatow connection, with Cera having starred in the Apatow-produced “Superbad” and Yi appearing briefly in the Apatow-directed “Knocked Up.”

Cera, 20, has several other movies lined up for release next year, including “Youth in Revolt,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “The Year One.” The latter, an adventure comedy, also stars Jack Black and is set to hit theatres in June.

However, it is not yet known if Cera will reprise his role as George Michael Bluth for the “Arrested Development” movie.

Michael Cera In Talks To Star In Graphic-Novel Movie

Eva Lam — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:31:16 +0000

Canadian actor Michael Cera is reportedly in final talks to star in a movie adaptation of the graphic novel “Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life.”

Cera, who starred in TV’s “Arrested Development” and most recently “Juno” and “Superbad,” would play the titular hero of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s anime-styled series about a clueless, bass-playing slacker in Toronto who must fight the seven evil ex-boyfriends of his love interest Ramona.

Helming the project will be “Shaun of the Dead” director Edgar Wright, who also co-wrote the screenplay.

Cera, 19, is currently shooting Harold Ramis’ “Year One,” which also stars Jack Black, Olivia Wilde, former “Arrested” co-star David Cross and fellow “Superbad” actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Next he’ll start work on a film called “Youth In Revolt,” based on the 1993 novel by C.D. Payne.

Canadian Actors Shut Out at Critics’ Choice Awards

andPOP Staff — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:24:26 +0000

Despite being nominated twice in the same category, Michael Cera – along with his Canadian counterparts – lost at the 13th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards last night.

Cera was nominated in the Best Young Actor category for both his roles in “Superbad” and “Juno.” But it was Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada (The Kite Runner) who picked up that trophy.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association also chose Julie Christie’s performance in “Away From Her” over Ellen Page’s “Juno.” That’s good news for fellow Canadian Sarah Polley, however, as she directed and adapted the screenplay for “Away From Her.”

Page and Cera didn’t go home completely unhappy, however. “Juno” was named Best Comedy Movie and screenwriter Diablo Cody won in the Best Writer category for the script – her first ever. The hip soundtrack to the film is out in stores today.

Ryan Gosling also lost the Best Actor award to Daniel Day-Lewis.

Director Yves Simoneau was the only Canadian who didn’t go home empty-handed. His TV movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” won in the Best Picture Made for Television category.

Here is the complete list of nominees and winners:

Best Picture
American Gangster
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
Juno
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

Best Actor
George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsch – Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises

Best Actress
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie – Away From Her
Marion Cotillard – La Vie en Rose
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page – Juno

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook – Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There
Catherine Keener – Into the Wild
Vanessa Redgrave – Atonement
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

Best Acting Ensemble
Hairspray
Juno
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
Gone Baby Gone
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

Best Director
Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men
Sidney Lumet – Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Sean Penn – Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joe Wright – Atonement

Best Writer
Diablo Cody – Juno
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy – Michael Clayton
Nancy Oliver – Lars and the Real Girl
Sean Penn – Into the Wild
Aaron Sorkin – Charlie Wilson’s War

Best Animated Feature
Bee Movie
Beowulf
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

Best Young Actor
Michael Cera – Juno
Michael Cera – Superbad
Freddie Highmore – August Rush
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada – The Kite Runner
Edward Sanders – Sweeney Todd

Best Young Actress
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
Dakota Blue Richards – The Golden Compass
AnnaSophia Robb – Bridge to Terabithia
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement

Best Comedy Movie
Dan in Real Life
Hairspray
Juno
Knocked Up
Superbad

Best Family Film
August Rush
Enchanted
The Golden Compass
Hairspray
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Best Picture Made for Television
The Company
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Tin Man
The War

Best Foreign Language Film
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
La Vie en Rose
Lust, Caution
The Orphanage

Best Song
“Come So Far”, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley – Hairspray
“Do You Feel Me”, Anthony Hamilton – American Gangster
“Falling Slowly”, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Once
“Guaranteed”, Eddie Vedder – Into the Wild
“That’s How You Know”, Amy Adams – Enchanted

Best Composer
Marco Beltrami – 3:10 to Yuma
Alexandre Desplat – Lust, Caution
Clint Eastwood – Grace Is Gone
Jonny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood
Dario Marianelli – Atonement
Alan Menken – Enchanted

Best Documentary
Darfur Now
In the Shadow of the Moon
The King of Kong
No End In Sight
Sharkwater
Sicko

Receiver of the Joel Siegel Award: Don Cheadle

Movie Review: Juno

andPOP Staff — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:04:11 +0000

Young Canadian talent doesn’t get much better – or cuter – than Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Their sweet, funny, and real performances are just part of what makes “Juno,” as a whole, a touching, hilarious and wonderful film.

Page plays precocious and off-beat Juno MacGuff, who despite being damaged is very comfortable in her own skin. As a 16-year-old, she is also very naive about the world of adults – a world she is forced to join when she becomes pregnant by her best friend (Cera). A high school girl getting pregnant may seem clichéd (hell, doesn’t it happen every week on Degrassi?), but I can assure you, “Juno” is in a league of its own.

One of the most touching elements of the film is Juno’s relationship with her father and step-mother, played by J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney. When Juno announces to them that she’s pregnant, they are of course disappointed in her: as her father states, “I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when.” But in a blink, the pair go into automatic support mode, planning doctor’s visits and shopping trips for pre-natal vitamins. Their no holds barred love for their flawed daughter and ability to roll with the punches together is truly touching.

Janney especially shines, comedically and dramatically. She and Juno don’t exactly have the perfect-mother daughter relationship. So when she (hilariously) tells a rude ultrasound technician to “go back to night school and learn a real trade,” the bond between them is solidified. She clearly respects her young step-daughter, something that is so important and inspiring.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that their relationship suddenly becomes totally congenial, because “Juno” is all about being real. Its characters are imperfect, and the ways they have been hurt in the past are obviously a part of them. But the hurt is not dwelled on; every character just keeps on moving forward, and helping each other to do the same.

The only unrealistic part is the insanely snappy dialogue, but it’s so deliciously pitch-perfect that it doesn’t detract from the film at all. “Juno” is hysterically funny, but I barely allowed myself to laugh the whole time, because I didn’t want to miss a single word. This is screenwriter Diablo Cody’s first film, and there is a reason she has been nominated for both a Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award.

Cody’s script has a lot of amazing jokes, but she never makes fun of her characters. Even Jason Bateman’s character, the prospective adoptive father and wannabe rock star, is treated with dignity. Juno’s presence drastically changes his life and relationship with his wife (Jennifer Garner), and they are forced to come to terms with certain truths about themselves. It may not be pretty, but it’s honest. Director Jason Reitman also used creative close-up shots to visually tell the audience about the characters. His fantastic direction combined with brilliant performances make every character a fully formed and unique person.

At the Q&A session after its second showing at the Toronto International Film Festival, Reitman told the crowd that he saw “Juno” as a film about a girl forced to grow up too fast and a man trying to stay a kid. But it’s really much more than that. It’s about strong women, and the bond of family; about always being true to yourself; and about love, in the many routes it takes. “Juno” is not to be missed.

‘McLovin’ Reuniting With Cera, Apatow

andPOP Staff — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:19:36 +0000

“Superbad”’s McLovin, a.k.a. teeny actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse, will have the chance to steal scenes once again in the Judd Apatow film “Year One.”

Reuniting with Canadian pal Michael Cera, Mintz-Plasse will play a ” platform-shoe-wearing high priest,” according to Yahoo! Entertainment.

No word yet on what his catchphrase will be this time around.

The comedy, set in biblical times, will also star Jack Black. Vinnie Jones is also in talks to play a palace guard. Harold Ramis will direct. Filming will take place in Louisiana and New Mexico come January.

“Superbad” is now on DVD.