Rye Lane, 2023.
Directed by Raine Allen Miller.
Starring David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, Karene Peter, Benjamin Sarpong-Broni, Malcolm Atobrah, Alice Hewkin, Simon Manyonda, and Poppy Allen-Quarmby.
SYNOPSIS:
Two youngsters reeling from bad breakups connect over an eventful day in South-London.
Feature-length debut filmmaker Raine Allen Miller instantly establishes Rye Lane as a visually dazzling film, opening with an overhead tracking shot gliding across the various public bathroom stalls. Each stall is vibrantly alive in color and life, ranging from fights and drugs to a crowded selfie to something more mundane such as a mother changing her baby’s diaper, until we arrive at Dom (David Jonsson) crying over a breakup with an unfaithful ex-girlfriend Gia (Karene Peter), whom he is still not over three months removed from discovering that she was cheating (by way of a clever scene involving a phone that cuts away to a humorous flashback showing that the man was Dom’s childhood friend.)
There’s a meet-cute on the way as aspiring cinematic costume designer Yas (Vivian Oparah) enters the stall next to Dom, curious about what he is crying about. Naturally, he wants privacy. The more significant point of emphasis here is that Rye Lane has a stunning production design for what is, ultimately, a standard romantic comedy (courtesy of screenwriters Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia) following two characters throughout one day as they learn about each other’s unfortunate relationships, support and encourage one another to grow, and then inevitably have an argument culminating with a will they/won’t they get together ending. You have seen this movie thousands of times but probably never seen it look this good.
Every frame of Rye Lane is bursting with personality, such as the art gallery installation for Dom’s friend comprised of mouth portraits, the bustling South-London area (where cinematographer Olan Collardy captures alive marketplaces and shopping complexes to such a degree where every individual location feels distinct in color and purpose, also happy enough to briefly linger on extras partaking in unique hobbies to add more life), to the silly cutaway flashbacks amusingly playing up a present-day conversation dialogue as a joke.
The familiarity of the narrative certainly won’t prevent re-watches because it’s a guarantee that even though the film is only 76 minutes without credits, there is a pleasantly overwhelming aesthetic stimulation that is too much to take in on one viewing. That’s also not to say that adhering to conventional romantic comedy tropes is a negative for Rye Lane, but more of an observation.
Yas is also moving on from a breakup, although she is coping differently from Dom, feeling happier and having found liberation from a terrible relationship. She doesn’t want her partner back. Meanwhile, she has agreed to meet with Gia and her new boyfriend, Eric (Benjamin Sarpong-Broni), so they can bury the hatchet, and he can hang out with his best friend again. Yas sees this another way, bluntly calling out Dom for letting them walk over him, choosing to crash the restaurant get-together posing as his new boyfriend in what is arguably the funniest scene. Eric is a self-absorbed dimwit, and Benjamin Sarpong-Broni delivers the dialogue perfectly, garnering major laughs.
Once Dom asks questions about Yas’s ex-boyfriend, she is cagey about spilling the details. More curiously, she seems afraid and nervous to pursue what she wants in life despite showing Dom a highly extroverted side of herself. The story draws a parallel between these two characters and their failed relationships, with one more willing and ready to discuss the past and their emotions more than the other.
From there, Rye Lane follows Dom and Yas across the day’s hijinks, interacting with each other’s ex-partners, bringing out the best in each other, and discovering personal truths. It’s a joyously breezy and heartwarming watch, with two richly charismatic performances from relative newcomers David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah. It’s not necessarily an emotionally powerful ride, but it’s still a blast to hang out with these characters while absorbing the film’s striking technical accomplishments on display.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
