‘Rye Lane’ Review – A Quirky and Emotional Love Story About Two Heartbroken Misfits Finding Each Other

Sometimes, all it takes is one day to completely change our lives. The right set of circumstances on an eventful day can lead to us discovering talents, passions, and courage we’ve never displayed before. All it takes is one day and one fateful encounter to completely change the course of our lives for the better.

Director Raine Allen-Miller builds her film, Rye Lane, around this kind of fateful encounter with a result that is endearing, charming, and centers a quirky pair of Londoners who help each other overcome their trauma and move toward a brighter future.

Sensitive and thoughtful Dom (David Jonsson) opens the film sitting on a toilet in a public restroom and crying as he stalks his ex-girlfriend’s, Gia’s (Karene Peter), Instagram stories. She’s enjoying a happy new relationship with Dom’s best friend, Eric (Benjamin Sarpong-Broni), and although he feigns happiness to their faces, he feels deeply hurt and betrayed. His luck begins to change when he meets the spirited and quick-witted Yas (Vivian Oparah) while supporting friend at a South London museum. From there, the two embark on a daylong adventure in which they will unpack their trauma, confront their fears and insecurities, and most importantly, fall in love.

It was an absolute joy to watch Jonsson and Oparah on fill together. Their chemistry is electrifying and palpable as their characters gallivant across South London. Whether they’re sharing their horrific dating stories in a bustling market or overcoming their fear of stage fright in a smoky, neon-lit karaoke bar, the charismatic ebb and flow between the actors helps sell the budding relationship between Dom and Yas. A standout scene by far is the sequence in the karaoke club where the two awkwardly sing Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop.” It’s cringe, funny, and perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the film.

Oparah gives herself to her role completely, and it’s so entertaining to watch. While she has elements of the manic pixie dream girl that populates many coming-of-age and romantic comedy stories, Oparah’s performance brings something different and unique to the commonly utilized archetype. She portrays Yas as flawed, slightly unhinged, empathic, and ambitious. You are left in awe with the way she effortlessly flits between the various states of mind that make up the character of Yas. She was far from a cookie cutter love interest, and it portrayed as her own three-dimensional character with hopes, dreams and shortcomings.

Jonsson brings such an adorable quality to Dom that you can’t help but root for him. While the film does introduce him as a bit of a lovable loser, we watch that shell breakdown over the course of the movie and see him evolve into someone who is confident, someone who takes risks, and someone who comes to the realization that he does deserve love. He deserves the grand romantic gestures he would readily deliver to the one he loves.

The look of the film is also worth mentioning. The use of colors, from the baby blue playground see-saws to the reds and yellows that adorn the vendor booths in the South London markets, this world film vibrates with life. It’s aesthetically pleasing and helps immerse viewers in Yas and Dom’s world. The characters sport green and yellows jackets respectively, and again, the use of bright colors keeps you paying attention. The use of primary colors in this film is astounding and viewers can’t help but be in awe as the story unfolds.

Tom Melia and Nathan Byron’s script is well-paced, sharp, and through being paired with Allen-Miller’s directing style, brings this fictional world to splendid cinematic world to life.

Rye Lane is an aesthetically pleasing, well-written and directed romantic comedy about two heartbroken misfits who fall in love over the course of a fateful day and manage to push each other toward a brighter future.

Rye Lane will debut on Hulu on March 31st. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqcF_GI3mOA]