Rye Lane

Thoroughly enjoyed this film it kept me entertained from start to finish. Performances were excellent by both leads. My only minor quibble is that for Jonsson voice acting and enunciation exercises are needed. I had to struggle to hear his lines at times and they were not articulated clearly. I can only describe it as mumble mouth. I have seen him in other films, shows and have the same issue. Other than that I highly recommend this film. It is quirky, unique and showcases relationships that unfortunately are very rarely seen in media especially in the U. K. It is impressive to me that they were even able to get this film made.

Rye Lane is an all time great rom com, efficient in moving through all the tropes with bottomless charm and a level of visual craft rarely seen within this genre. Obviously it's also really funny with several memorable moments rife with effective cringe.

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah are just phenomenal. They bring out the best in each other with chemistry that's so natural resulting in the initial awkwardness evolving into a real connection. Vivian Oparah is the standout though with an instant and boundless energy which hides a sadness.

Raine Allen-Miller's direction is so good that even something as off putting as a fish eye lens works seamlessly. From the very first scene it's so inventive and that thankfully never lets up. There's so much detail in it as well, background extras make themselves known in subtle ways which just make everything even more fully realised.

As I obviously was not in attendance at Sundance Film Festival... I am just now getting to see some of the films as they are being slowly released to the public. Rye Lane is one I've heard an awful lot of praise about, so I knew I had to check it out right away.

Let me tell you, all that praise is justified! This movie is WONDERFUL! It's a smart, funny and heartwarming rom-com, truly such a gem of cinema. It's a stunning directorial debut from Raine Allen-Miller, filled with energy, style, colour, romance, laughs, charm and emotion. The movie just loves life! It hits like a bolt of energy, and is a pure feel good film from start to finish. The film does such a good job at showing off how hard it is to make meaningful connections between people in this day and age, while also showing an unexpected blossoming romance between two people who share an unlikely but pure connection. I just loved following them as we see them genuinely connect with one another! There's this really easy energy between Jonsson and Oparah which makes the movie feel like a walk in the park. The writing was also exceptional, and the direction creative. The film just has so much heart and depth, it's so loveable and shows how love can come into our lives at the most unexpected of times. One of the great rom-coms, you gotta see it! It'll warm your heart, I loved it! I really need more films from this director pronto!

And I couldn't help but love the quick Colin Firth cameo!

Rye Lane is a fun RomCom set in the heart of South London, notably in Peckham and Brixton. We pick up with Dom and Yas who coincidentally bump into each other at an exhibition and realise that they have both come out of long term relationships.

We then enter a day in the life (mostly) story where Dom and Yas discuss how they have dealt with their recent breakups whilst going through several interesting situations.

It was cool to watch a RomCom unapologetically set in South London, with several fun cameos and many genuine laughs.

The runtime is an hour and twenty two minutes but it felt a lot longer than that, mainly due to long conversations and the short period to time that most of film took place over.

I did feel that it started to run out of steam at the end but overall Rye Lane was a nice London RomCom that explored break ups, healing and power of sharing honest stories with others.

There seems to be a bit of a renaissance in the romcom genre of late and I'm all for it. Rye Lane joins this wave of impressive films as it is genuinely funny and sweet romcom.

Like any good romcom you need a couple of strong leads who have effortless chemistry and Rye Lane provides this. David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah are a great leading duo, providing plenty of laughs and drama. A strong supporting cast backs them up well too.

The script is very tight and well put together. It feels real and edgy and is actually funny! The 'com' in 'romcom' is often executed so poorly so it's nice to see that this film bucks that trend.

To top it all off, Rye Lane has a pretty good plot too. It's very easy to get swept up in the vibes of the whole thing and it makes for an enjoyable ride. From a broad strokes perspective the plot isn't ground breaking, the romcom formula is very much followed, but the different ways it navigates around the traditional formula feel fresh and exciting.

Overall I can't remember having a better time watching a romcom in the cinema. A great laugh and a lovely story.