Heeb

 (Watch Paper Heart trailer After the Jump)

Charlyne Yi has spent a lot of time taking the romantic lead lately—she starred in a parody short of classic summer lovin’ film Dirty Dancing, played a circus freak’s girlfriend in indie band Man Man’s “Rabbit Habits” music video, and allegedly dated and broke up with funny dude Michael Cera (or maybe not?). But her most intriguing role (on-screen, at least) comes in Paper Heart, a semi-fictional documentary about Yi’s search for love (which she wholly doesn’t believe in). Heeb recently sat down with Yi and director Nicholas Jasenovec to talk about the obvious (love) and the less obvious (loving Jews).

So is there one question you don’t want anyone to ask you anymore?

Charlyne: I’m getting so tired of people asking me why I’m so cool, you know, its just so hard to sum it up. Why are you so mysterious, Charlyne? I can’t tell you why I’m so mysterious because it’s a mystery. If I give that away, the enigma of Charlyne Yi will disappear.

So how has your conception of love changed since the movie? (Because that’s not a hard question at all…) Charlyne: I think I was a bit doubtful in the beginning, [but] every time I met someone and kind of lived through that story with them as they told it, it made me more hopeful and also reassured me that just because things are uncertain doesn’t mean I have to freak out about it.

So why love and why now? 

Charlyne: I think it was more personal. Originally it was going to be a traditional documentary. I guess I just wanted to capture true love stories, because people surprisingly just opened up to me during the time when I was questioning what love was and going through my own thing.

Nick: Me, too. When she came to me with it, I hadn’t really seen a love story that I could relate to. I think it was an opportunity to do a love story that was a little bit more relatable to people more her age then my age—because I’m old. You know, kind of a modern take on a young love story.

How do you think it’s different from the tradition romantic comedy—where there’s always a huge dramatic, meeting-in-the-middle-of-the-Brooklyn-Bridge climax? Do you think that we’re just jaded and don’t want that kind of movie anymore?

Charlyne: There [those kind of] movie moments, except for Michael and Charlene’s story. It’s very mundane—conversations about food and trying to make each other laugh. I know, for me, part of the inspiration for the film was the mundane stories. Like, its so simple and amazing that you guys found each other, regardless of how boring you think it is. I think it is relatable.

Nick: Yeah, it’s a part of the whole idea of the movie too— taking a look at those conventions, but falling trap to them as well

So you guys initially wanted an optimistic movie?

Nick: We wanted it to be pretty hopeful and optimistic. At the end of the film, Charlyne’s character [basically has to] choose Michael or the movie. She [makes] the choice of Michael. If Michael takes her back, I don’t know.

Charlyne: Yeah… Hope they work things out.

Nick: Yeah, hopefully with the cameras out of the way, they can have the freedom to experience the relationship and make it work or not work on its own terms.

So as a reporter from a Jewish mag, I have to ask: What do you think of Jews? You have a lot of friends who are Jewish comedians. Do you find them attractive, or…

Charlyne: Do I find them attractive?

Nick: Just say, ‘Yes.’

Charlyne: Yes, I do, I do. 

It’s OK if you don’t.

Charlyne: No, I just don’t know who’s Jewish or not. How do you tell? So it’s not even like, that guys a Jew—like him. It’s like, oh, man, that guy’s attractive.

And you find out that he’s Jewish later.

Charlyne: And then, I’m like—even more attractive.

Paper Heart hits theatres August 14.