Question: how many classic love stories have started with a meet-cute in a grotty London toilet? Raine Allen Miller’s infectious debut Rye Lane will put a spring in your step as you follow two youngsters reeling from bad breakups who connect over an eventful day in South-London.
This connection unfolds over the course of a single day as Dom and Yas walk and talk their way around the city. It is London’s answer to Before Sunrise. Before Sun-Rye if you will.
One is loath to use the phrase “Life, Laugh, Love” as it has been butchered to death on Instagram and people’s living room walls. However it perfectly encapsulates this burgeoning relationship. They two talk about their lives, the film is incredibly funny and full of laughs and it will reaffirm your belief in love.
Leads David Jonsson and Vivaian Oparah have instant chemistry. Despite their fragile emotional states and the plot and their exes threatening to keep them apart, it is clear they are being drawn together by a force stronger than gravity. These are star-making, breakout performances and expect to see a lot more from them in the future.
Nathan Byron & Tom Melia’s script sparkles with truth, wit and a healthy dose of cynicism. Miller avoids any potential monotony of simply following the two characters with a steadicam by employing a number of cinematic and theatrical tropes from flashbacks to staged recreations featuring commentary to keep things interesting. Plus it features a much happier karaoke performance than the one featured in Aftersun. Coupled with a banging soundtrack and crisp editing, the breezy 82 minute runtime absolutely flies by during this whirlwind romance.
Not only does it breathe new life into the characters, the film also does the same for London. What is instantly noticeable is the bold, vibrant colour palette. Representative of the “real” London we don’t often see on screen in the more safe, stylised Hollywood fare. It is exciting work from cinematographer Olan Collardy, who at several points uses a fish eye lens to give a fresh perspective to the action.
January is often a grey and gloomy month for many. However this film has arrived at Sundance and parted the clouds like a bright ray of sunshine. An utterly joyous affair, the feel-good film of 2023 is here. Complete with an early contender for the cameo of the year.
It might not be able to resist the temptation to resort to a “big, bold romantic gesture”, typically seen in a more mainstream romantic comedy, but Rye Lane is itself a big, bold statement from Raine Allen Miller. We are witnessing the arrival of an exciting new voice in British filmmaking.
Rye Lane screens at the Glasgow Film Festival and is in UK cinemas from March 17
Rating: 
Director: Raine Allen Miller
Stars: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah
Runtime: 82 minutes
Country: UK
