Rom-coms have really lost their way for me in recent years, relying on tragic circumstances and the looming threat of sudden death to bring its two lovers together. Rye Lane doesn’t have to do that, although it does of course come with some tragedy, the fact that we’re not all talking about it, all the time.
I saw the trailer for Rye Lane just a few weeks before it came out, with its Rugrats-like text backgrounds and energetic colour palette. Also being a cultured and “ear-to-the-ground” youth, I saw some chit chat on Instagram about the film ahead of its
release. I was first in line to see it, metaphorically of course, I saw it about a week after. I decided to get into the spirit of the film and see it in the Brixton Picturehouse, as the lord intended (I booked the tickets before I knew it was mostly set in Peckham, and not Brixton, huge ego hit for me).
The film opens with a nice top-view pan across bathroom stalls, showing the different sides of London loo users (losers). We’re immediately greeted with colour and personality, stopping our journey on a bird's-eye view of Dom, who is crying in a brown and yellow stall, with his recognisable pink Converse. Yas comes out of the stall next to him and they have a quick and awkward conversation through the door.
Once Dom builds up the courage, he leaves the bathroom and sneaks back into the art gallery where his friend’s exhibit on closeup mouth pictures is on display.
Yas spots Dom’s converse from across the room and sparks up conversation with him. They leave the gallery and begin their day together, where the rest of the events of the film take place.
We traverse through an awkward ex meetup, an awkward ex’s family gathering and an awkward ex home invasion. All this is weaved in between a charming and energetic story with two endearing and chemically reactive leads.
The London around them is riddled with propaganda, it's cool, bright, fun and inviting. The sun shines and the people smile. The worst crime this film commits is having a lack of queue standing time. These two traverse London with ease, getting food and having experiences, not once do they stand still in a queue for a minimum of 25 minutes.
The blatantly inaccurate London gives a strange ethereal kind of setting to the film, set in ideals and being comfortable in the wishing. This theme continues in the way that the plot plays out, as it bounces from place to place, having utopian interactions with those around them. Nothing in this film felt like it overstayed its welcome, breezing through sets and activities with just enough time for the characters to connect and share an experience, without us lingering on the feelings this place has to offer.
Yas seems to bring a lot of this energy to the film, as she leads Dom through most of the plot, to try and get a record that she loves back from her ex’s house. She seems like the tour guide, showing Dom around her world and introducing him to the people she knows. There is a level of trust and vulnerability in this, not being afraid to let someone in. Her intuition that Dom is someone she likes from the start is a strong character trait and her unwavering confidence throughout helps to drive the story along.
Dom is a great counter to this, as he experiences all new things with Yas, going along with her every idea with a level of puppy dog excitement and shyness. At times he tries to match her energy, leading to some very awkward interactions, only the like I have first hand experience with.
Its exciting to watch a film like this, filled with so much heart, genuine passion, new ideas and some new takes on classic ideas too. This is all reflected in the technical side of the film too, as the camera, lighting and sets all seem to be delighted to go along with the energy the characters and story are bringing to the table.
The camera tracks for a lot of the film, sticking with Dom and Yas, moving through the environment with them and lingering when it needs to, allowing them both to interact in the space.
The sets and colour come hand in hand, as Peckman is the main location for the exterior scenes. bringing the energy of the borough, avoiding anywhere that might not fit into its light hearted aesthetic. They weave their way through local businesses, which appear small in scale but are packed with character and uniqueness. The indoor sets keep the theme going as they decorate them with some more of that signature idealism and bold design.
Sprinkled throughout the story are these little plot tributaries, not quite based in reality, as Dom and Yas share past stories with one another. The stage scene with an audience full of applauding Doms and dramatic retelling of a cinema experience stand out the most to me. They aren’t afraid to play with the medium and take you out of the film, bleeding into the main world of the film at points too. Letting you imagine along with Yas or Dom while they get to know each other. I have seen these types of devices used to shake up the mundane done before but to me, they are always a welcome addition.
My only small small issue with the film is the inevitable conflict that arises before we have our grand ending. It is such a small thing but it does feel a little rushed and short lived in the runtime of the film. While the rest of the film flows, knowing when to cut off a scene and change the narrative, this conflict does feel unsure of itself, like an obligation before a final reunion.
Forgetting all that, Rye Lane shocked me with its humour, loveable characters and energy. I was so invested in the story from its beginning to me audibly begging it not to end. I wasn’t sure if I could face real world Brixton after seeing Peckham romantased so heavily and my confusion between the places being truly revealed.
Its just another example of a young filmmaker (Raine Allen Miller) showing that they are someone to look out for in the future. It’s also on Disney Plus now, available for me to escape to whenever I wish.
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