Trailer: Paper Heart

I mentioned in my previous post that I love films which are made by and about the same person, particularly when that person is charming and talented, like Scott Prendergast or Miranda July. Charlyne Yi is another example, and I can’t wait to see her film, Paper Heart, which blurs the line between fiction and reality as a fictionalised account of her real relationship with ace young actor Michael Cera. I loved Michael in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and from what I’ve seen of Charlyne, I think I’ll love her too. They’re such an adorable couple. I haven’t watched a trailer as many times as this since The Science of Sleep, and that turned out to be an all-time favourite of mine, so I have a very good feeling about Paper Heart and hope it will get a UK release not too long after it’s out in America in August.

Review: Kabluey

With the huge success of films like Little Miss Sunshine and Juno, cute and quirky independent cinema is no longer a niche market. This has always been one of my favourite genres, so it’s nice that it’s becoming easier to see such films at the cinema, but I do sometimes wonder why certain examples get such huge praise while others, very similar and equally entertaining, go just as unnoticed as ever. Kabluey is an example of the latter. I’d be surprised if you’ve heard of it, but if cute and quirky is your cup of tea then you might just love it.

Kabluey mixes realism with surrealism – the main characters (played by Scott Prendergast, who also wrote and directed the film, and Lisa Kudrow) have ordinary, quite depressing lives, but the story is sweet and charming and there are many entertaining moments. Everything is a little bit funnier when one of the characters involved is dressed as a cute blue creature who always looks quite glum.  Look out especially for the moment which provokes the line, “Leslie, call the police, we’re being attacked… BY CHEEEESE!”

I think what’s great about Kabluey is its individuality. It does fit into a genre that’s currently popular, but it doesn’t particularly remind me of any other film I’ve seen. The fact that Scott (seen above, inside his blue costume) had complete creative control over the project means that it’s simply his vision and that doesn’t appear to be diluted by the need to please any industry bigwigs. It’s really nice to see someone left to their own devices and I think more creative types should be allowed to do this, as it has worked so well with Kabluey and also with Me and You and Everyone We Know. I’ll definitely be looking out for more of these artistic solo projects in the future.

Kabluey hasn’t actually been released in the UK, but someone has kindly risked a criminal conviction to put it online for our entertainment, here .