As a genre, the romantic comedy is a well-oiled machine. You know what to expect, and even when to expect it. And that’s part of the beauty of these movies. It’s a comfort genre that doesn’t necessarily need reinvention or rejuvenation. But every once in a while it’s good to have a movie try to break free from that mold, shake things up a bit. And that’s where Rye Lane comes in. Even though it didn’t exactly click for me, I love seeing a director, especially a new director, really go for something.
The basic set up will sound like your standard issue rom-com. Three months ago Dom’s (David Jonsson) six year relationship ended, and not well. He’s attending an art show, where he eventually retreats to have himself a good cry in the gallery’s gender-neutral bathroom, where he’s soon interrupted by Yas (Vivian Oparah). This is one thing director Raine Allen-Miller (in her feature directorial debut) does exceptionally well: she’s incredibly economical and efficient with time. Rye Lane clocks in at only 82 minutes, so every minute counts. No second is wasted, and that’s evident right off the bat, as we have the meet-cute with our two leads mere minutes into the movie.
The bathroom run-in leads to a conversation in the gallery, which leads to a continued conversation as the walk through the Rye Lane market area. Before they know it, they’re spending the full day together. And that’s another point in Rye Lane’s favor – at least for me. I love the “movie takes place in a day” setup. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Dazed and Confused, Collateral. It’s a tried-and-true concept, and one you don’t often see used in romantic comedies.
Using the Rye Lane and South London area as the back drop, Allen-Miller is able to infuse the movie with vibrant colors and modern art. It makes for an engaging and unique visual aesthetic. The production design feels like an additional fully developed character. And in addition to that, Allen-Miller doesn’t shy away from using distinct camera angles and unique shots throughout the movie. You don’t see the fish-eye lens get a lot of use these days, but she goes for it here, and it works.
With all that going for it, this should be a movie that I love. Romantic comedy with two charismatic leads with boundless chemistry, a short runtime (I have nothing against longer movies, but if you only need 82 minutes to tell your story, then make it 82 minutes), creative production and visuals. On paper Rye Lane is tailor-made for me. But it’s still missing something. As good as the framework is, it’s the actual content and what it’s trying to say that doesn’t quite hit for me.
The jokes come at a good clip, but there are more hits than misses – though there is one super brief visual joke featuring a cameo from a famous English actor that is absolutely incredible. It will easily hold up as one of my favorite things I’ll see a movie do all year. Dom and Yas’s conversations about relationships and life didn’t feel all that unique. They felt very real, though, which always helps. But it still ended up feeling like so many other romantic comedies.
But even though Rye Lane didn’t fully work for me, I’d still give a strong recommendation to watch. I’m in the vast minority here, so the likelihood that most others will connect more with it than I did seems high. And if nothing else, it highlights the talent and potential of Allen-Miller. If these are the kinds of swings she’s going to be taking, I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.
Rye Lane premieres on Hulu on Friday, March 31st.
Score: 67/100
