Communa Reviews: Rye Lane (2023)
Photo credit: Searchlight Pictures
It’s one thing for a film to be well made, another to be entertaining, and something entirely different for it to be impactful. My mission this year was to watch at least 200 films; with two months to go I have seen a solid 187, not including rewatches and films I started but forgot to finish. Deciding which film I watched in 2023 impacted me the most was therefore not a small task.
The majority of classic romantic comedies involve a white, quirky and loveable woman who finds love in an unlikely place at an unlikely time. Romantic comedies are rarely able to connect with the many corners of the Black British community for this reason. Watching Rye Lane (2023) was not only a breath of fresh air, but a charming knight in shining armor coming to the rescue.
Given a limited theatrical release in April before being quietly and strategically placed on Disney+ in early May; Rye Lane has slipped into the ‘if you know you know’ category of cinema. One of those films you heard about from a friend, saw a tweet about or watched a review on a TikTok video you didn’t save. You were never reminded by an ad or a sponsored post because there weren’t many of them to begin with. Unfortunately, marketing is scarce when the budget is small and the cast doesn’t have a name that fills seats. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that Rye Lane is nothing short of cinematic genius with both charm and culture to match.
Based in modern day South London, we follow the journey of Yas and Dom. After meeting in a public toilet at a mutual friend’s art exhibition, the unlikely duo discover they are both recovering from difficult breakups and relatively mundane lifestyles. Dom is a timid, sensible wallflower pursuing a career in accounting; Yas is an eccentric, extroverted social butterfly with dreams of being a big time costume designer.
The film follows them on a walk that reminds me of the way I tell stories. It starts off with intention, but leads to something entirely different through a series of unexpected side quests and characters that makes you forget what/where(?) the destination was to begin with. In my opinion, the perfect way to tell a story. Visually the film takes you on a series of adventures as it plays with lenses, colours and angles with techniques not so experimental that leave/have you questioning the sobriety of the editors. It is the perfect amount of playful for those who love a film that pushes cinematic rules and boundaries, but not so much that it puts off those who aren’t quite into the arthouse/indie scene but wouldn’t mind dipping their toe in.
But the best thing about Rye Lane, isn’t just the journey the main characters go on, it is everything surrounding it- the colours, dialogue, performances and most of all the chemistry between the cast. You quickly forget you’re watching a film and feel like you’re listening to your best friends explain what happened when they went on a walk with a stranger the other day in an hour long WhatsApp voice note. You’re invested, entertained and feel a genuine connection with the story as it goes on. You’re rooting for everyone involved despite not really knowing their backstory - because you don’t need to - and you’re verbally exclaiming reactions knowing you can’t be heard. But what does it matter when you’re having a great time just being involved.
There is an authenticity to Rye Lane that could not be brought to life by just anybody. It doesn’t take long to fall in love with what is clearly a love letter to South London through a cast that evidently has a deep connection to the culture they represent. You don’t feel like you’re watching a film packed with a cast who had to be spoon fed on how to react to the man dancing in the street or being told to suck your mum by Michael Dappah in the corner shop. You don’t feel like anybody looks out of place in their surroundings or like their character had to be explained to them at all. It feels natural. It feels like home.
The dynamic between Yas and Dom is not only believable but desirable throughout the film, and they seem to bring out the best in each other by being so different. There are times where you become slightly frustrated with both of their shortcomings. You feel a frustration that makes you want them to love themselves more and reach an understanding. But it still avoids the romcom tropes that make you want to write ‘what were you trying to achieve here?’ on a post-it and slide it over to the film’s writers. This was a film beautifully made by Black people, about Black people, for Black people,.
David Johnson and Vivian Oparah
Despite being a light-hearted romcom about horrible exes, cheeky excursions and people who wave at boats; Rye Lane has not left the special place it burrowed its way into in my heart when I watched it in the cinema in April. I have been raised watching and loving romcoms like ‘How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days’ and ‘Crazy Stupid Love’. Don’t get me wrong, these are both examples of perfect romantic comedies and I would happily die on this hill. However, I noticed elements of myself in Yas’ character. I could see my tendencies in her mannerisms and style, and I saw friends and family in several characters she interacted with along the way. I left the cinema smiling and thinking, is this how my white friends feel when they watch, well, anything? Represented, like they want to be friends with not the cast but the characters, little butterflies at the thought of one day finding a love like the one they just saw on screen, like their soul just spent eighty-three minutes in a warm blanket? I feel robbed, but also enlightened.
There is an escapism that Black people are rarely allowed to experience when it comes to cinema. We’re constantly bombarded with stories following our traumatic history or even more traumatic current day. We deserve the cinematic experience that Rye Lane gave me both times I watched it. A film does not have to be deep and intense and three hours long to be impactful. It could be a one hour twenty minute low budget film about two twenty somethings making their way through Rye Lane market, singing karaoke and getting burritos.