#yas rye lane

[whamicon]

“Just so you know, I still think you’re iconic!”

[flareboi]

worlds lamest coolest middle schooler

[m-artsoul]

08/04/23

romcom of the year

[oxivgen]

❤️ 

[theloneliestblackgirlblog]

“…romcoms are back, so you know we’re in a recession.”

My review of the wonderful Rye Lane streaming now on Hulu!

[currymanganese]

Yas is the GOAT, the GOAT!!!!!

[afrofairysblog]

I will always love that they did this!!!! Cause Yas is my GIRL!!! (played beautifully by Vivian Oparah)

Everytime Yas was on screen during rye lane I was absolutely entranced vivian's performance was magical she filled this character with so much light.. she really inspired me to be more free and to live for myself and be unafraid . And I'm so happy she met someone who loves her completely and matches her energy . Uh just perfect

[anderwater]

Vivian Oparah as YAS (nuggets by candlelight) in RYE LANE (2023) dir. Raine Allen Miller

[horrorhick]

YAS | vivian oparah | Rye Lane (2023)

Favorite Performances   ↪ 12/?

[gbearyacorn]

I Turned the Corner 🔞

Chapter 2: A Rosie Among Thorns

Summary: Looking for a distraction, Alastor visits a dear friend.

Days… It had been four. Fucking. Days! Four days of trying his best to get that god forsaken picture show out of his head, and it showed no sign of doing so anytime soon. He had at least kept himself from attempting to watch it again, but now his incessantly nagging thought was of how he might approach the lovely Vixen to strike a deal. He’d managed to keep himself cordial and chipper around the residents, especially when Angel Dust began prattling on about Valentino’s latest obsession with obtaining the vixen’s pelt for a sequel involving sexual intercourse.

“I’m rather curious, my friend! Why is your employer having trouble with that?”

Angel turned to Alastor and gave him a knowing smirk before answering. “Well ya see, Smiles, Vix made a deal with Velvette for her fur and doesn’t want it getting ruined in a shoot.” Well, that made sense. “Those two are besties or somethin’ so that’s why she was wanting it removed.” Angel‘s sly grin widened.

“Knowing Vel, she’ll be wanting fur pretty regular, so Vix will probably be asking for a regular butcher. Those movies will probably become a series… If you’re interested.” The spider wiggled his eyebrows and Alastor felt his heart quicken. So she would be needing a regular butcher to fulfill a deal with a friend. How interesting.

“Ah, alas, my friend, while I do enjoy a good skinning, the… intimacy… is not to my tastes.” His smile was perfectly in place, but his eyes narrowed and his nose wrinkled in distaste.

“Aww, come on, Allie. You know you liked it. I bet you two would actually get along really well together.”

Radio static escaped as Alastor bristled- yes, he may have liked it (very much so, in fact), but that didn’t mean Angel needed to know that.

“Unfortunately, my dear friend, I have to disagree with you there. However I must admit, it’s an intriguing explanation- your costar is quite the unique personality.”

“Unique is definitely a good way to describe her.” Angel laughed as he walked towards the door. “I’m heading to work. Don’t get into any trouble without me,” he winked to Husker at the bar before he disappeared. Husker gave a small grumble, but Alastor noticed a small, sentimental smile tugging on the feline’s lips. Huh. It looked like these wayward souls may be finding connection after all. How sweet.

He sneered before fixing his face to walk up to the bar. “Husker, my good man! A glass of rye, if you will.” He watched in delight as the feline bristled, but went to fulfill his order. He wasn’t usually one to drink during the day, but he could never resist the urge to taunt and grate at the former overlord. He enjoyed putting his conquests in their place, and scaring the ever loving shit out of them when they stepped a toe out of line. Fear is power, and in Hell, the more power one accumulates, the better.

As he made his way down the lane, Alastor reveled in the terror he invoked- demons, large and small, ran from him or doused themselves in flames to respawn. Sure, it could get lonely sometimes, but that’s what he had Rosie for- his darling, dearest friend. He should really visit her again; he had given a small greeting at the last overlord meeting, but it had been a good seven years since he’d had the pleasure of truly getting to enjoy her company. He was bound to receive a stern lecture for neglecting her.

With his mind made up, he made his way to the doomsday district to procure an apology gift for his long absence- as long as he stayed within the constraints of his deal, there should be no problem. Rosie’s favorite gift to receive was hearts- specifically the hearts of cruel men. And Alastor was all too happy to oblige.

As he scanned the streets and dark alleyways, his ears pricked at the distant screams of a woman, and turned to head that direction.

“Please! Somebody help me! Stop it! Let me go, you creep! Help!”

On any other day, the panicked noise the little ram was making would only attract more “creeps”, but today would be her lucky day. Alastor’s sinister grin widened as he stepped out of his shadows to see three goons working to surround her. The poor dear was trembling and doing her best to sink into the wall at her back.

“You know, I really do hate those who can’t show a little more respect to those of fairer means. It’s rather… Distasteful. Don’t you think?” He felt the surge of excitement building in his muscles as the three demons turned to face him, terror and recognition lighting two of the faces. It would seem one of them were unfamiliar with who stood before them- how delightful!

An alligator, a boar and a wolf- a lovely variety for his dear friend! The boar and alligator backed away, throwing their arms up in an attempt to placate the contorting radio demon.

“Hey man, we don’t want any trouble. You can have her! She’s all yours, buddy!” The wolf looked at the crocodile with disbelief and annoyance before going after the woman once more. He could be first, then.

A large black tentacle shot past Alastor’s shoulder and wrapped itself around the wolf’s throat to haul him away from the shaking ram. Two more struck out to halt the gator and boar as he tsked at the fleeing demons, waving his finger in disapproval.

“Ah, ah, ah! It is quite rude to leave when a party is only just beginning.” His eyes flashed black as he brandished his fangs, black gums peeking out with the wide smile as he brought the three demons closer to him.

A guttural scream was heard when he poked a claw through the wolf’s eyeball and plucked it from it’s socket before popping it into his mouth with a hum. ‘Hmm, not bad. But not as good as fish eyes,’ he thought to himself, noticing the little ram sinking to the ground as she stared at the horror in front of her. Good, he’d need her here until his task was finished- the poor dear.

“Please! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again, I swear!” The wolf cried as he gasped and choked in the tentacle’s hold. Alastor gave a small sigh, wishing he could draw out the torture he really wanted to visit upon the three. Alas, he would need to give them a quick death. He heard the screams of the other two as he shoved his hand through the wolf’s chest, breaking the rib cage and wrapping his hand gently around the still beating heart. He twisted his hand inside the chest cavity before ripping the heart out with a joyful hum.

Before tossing the wolf, he plucked the other eye from his skull and conjured a cute heart shaped gift box lined with butcher paper to place the treasures in. He made quick work of the other two and placed their hearts and eyes in the gift box as well before snapping it into his stasis dimension. It wouldn’t do to gift his darling friend anything but the freshest of treats. He decided at the last minute to snap the alligator into his stasis dimension as well- gator was a delicious meat.

Making his way past the trembling ram, he whistled a jaunty tune and snapped himself clean before heading towards Cannibal Town.

———/////////————-///////////————-///////////

“Oh Alastor, I love them! I suppose I can forgive you- what a lovely gift! Thank you, sweetheart!” Rosie exclaimed from her seat across from him. She pulled out an eyeball and popped it happily into her mouth, dabbing her lacey handkerchief at the juice that escaped her lips. Alastor’s heart swelled with love and pride at the woman’s praise- she truly was a gem among women. Such a darling.

“Of course, sweetheart! You know I wish I could visit sooner, but I’ve been otherwise occupied unfortunately.” He sighed before pointing to his neck and giving her an annoyed roll of his eyes.

Rosie’s obsidian orbs widened as she gave a small gasp, a gloved hand rising to cover her mouth. “No!” He couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction- this was the juiciest gossip he’d given her in decades, but he could trust her to keep his secrets. “Afraid so,” he confirmed, only half expecting the crushing embrace she enveloped him in.

“I’m sorry, Al. I know how much you value your autonomy, so whatever happened to make you give it up must’ve been a hell of a situation. I’m here for you if and when you wanna talk, okay sweetie?” Alastor’s smile softened as he held her back, giving a small nuzzle to her hair.

“Thank you, Rosie. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can say about it, but just being in your glowing presence is a cool drink of water to this parched throat.”

Rosie playfully slapped his shoulder, cupping her cheek coyly. “Always such a charmer! So, what are you up to nowadays? You know, I got a couple of goons who’ve been lurkin’ around, trying to make deals with some of my girls and I bet they’d love to make the acquaintance of the radio demon, if you feel like a little bit of fun.” Rosie gave him a sharp smile- oh, how he’d missed this woman!

“Well, I couldn’t say no to a lady in need of assistance, now could I?” Alastor rose and bowed to Rosie, hand outstretched for her to take, smile spread wide to match hers. With a hearty laugh, she took his hand and rose to join him.

As they strolled arm-in-arm down Main Street, the two waved and greeted passersby, offering smiles and greetings to the residents of Cannibal Town. He truly did admire Rosie and her leadership skills. Only a couple of decades older than he, the tall beauty had created her own little Heaven in Hell and had such a way about her that made people feel safe and heard. She was so unprejudiced and patient in her manner with others, it was difficult to believe she wasn’t much older than he- even Zestial had formed his self-control and patience over centuries. Rosie was one of the only people who held his trust, and was the only one who held many of his personal and professional secrets. She was completely indispensable.

Closer to the outskirts, Alastor’s ear twitched and he steered Rosie to head towards the voices he heard conversing. He tapped twice gently on Rosie’s wrist and smiled wickedly as she met his gaze. When closing in on the location, he paused in his steps to indicate to Rosie which direction the voices were coming from. They both stepped closer to listen in on the conversation, Alastor giving the closer spot to Rosie- he could hear without any issue.

“Well, I ain’t ever heard of this Valentine you speak of, but you must know that no cannibal would give anyone other than Rosie their soul, much less a dealer of flesh- well, not that kind of dealer at least. That’s not the kind of flesh we desire, dear.”

Alastor grinned as he listened- you gotta love a lady who can cut as well with her teeth as she could with her sharp tongue.

“Huh, you seem to think I’m giving you a choice. And it’s Valentino, doll face. Now, climb in nice n’ easy or I’m gonna start gettin’ mad.”

‘How uncouth,’ he thought with a twitch of his lips as the cannibette began laughing, soft and ladylike. “Oh my! You must be new around here, dear. Either that,” her voice grew dark as Alastor formed behind the shark demon, her eyes looking up to meet his. “Or very stupid,” she finished, and just as the shark reached for her a clawed hand grabbed his shoulder to halt him.

“I believe the lady has given you her answer, however I would appreciate it if you could answer some of our questions.” His eyes began glowing in demented joy at the terrified expression spreading across the shark’s face. The car started trying to move, but sunk as Rosie grabbed the bumper and slammed it into a pothole, both back tires popping under the pressure.

Alastor’s ears pinned for a moment at the noise, but kept his face chipper and relaxed. “Now, what do you say to a nice chat? My friend and I have much to ask.” He pressed his hand flat between the shark’s shoulders and led him to meet Rosie, who now held a struggling weasel by the collar as he tried to run from the giggling woman.

“Oh, come now! I’m offended, sir! You’re lookin’ at the queen cannibette herself- don’t you want to ask me for a ride?” Rosie smiled sharply at the struggling weasel, and he shrunk in his suit, eyes going wide and whiskers drooping. Alastor laughed at the jest before offering his hand for Rosie to take, waving back to the blushing cannibette as his shadows swallowed their small group and deposited them in her second story parlor.

“What the fuck!” / “Look man, we’re just tryin’ ta do our jobs-“

Ugh, the sorriest excuse for hurting fairer beings.

“Aww, who could argue with that? Well in that case, you should be able to understand that as the reigning overlord of this territory, I’m just doing my job.” Rosie’s form began to grow, her face becoming skeletal and fangs lengthening as her neck cracked and bent. Quite the terrifying display; the two demons backed away until they hit a barrier they couldn’t pass. Alastor stayed back politely- Rosie never needed backup, and he loved to witness her cruelty. He would get a turn for some fun when she was finished.

The towering woman crept closer and bent to look down on the trembling demons. “Now, why is Valentino trying to piss on the wrong tree? The demons of Cannibal Town are spoken for.”

“He knows a lot of your residents are hellborn, and just wants to give them a job.” The weasel held his hands up in surrender.

“When looking to recruit new employees, is it not wise to advertise? It looked to me like you were trying to force that young lady into your car. Not a very good business practice, if you ask me. Now, I’m going drop you two back off to your boss’s office, but be warned that any more… recruiting… and you may find yourselves on one of my friend’s broadcasts. Do relay that to your employer for me, lads.” Rosie flicked each demon on the nose and they disappeared in a puff of pink and grey smoke.

“Look at you, showing such restraint! I’m quite impressed, Rosie dear.” Alastor clapped his hands as Rosie took some calming breaths, her form shrinking back to its usual appearance. He walked over to her and pat her back gently- such restraint could only be strategic. His dearest friend wouldn’t have let them go unpunished otherwise. She was sending the vile moth a message- ‘Don’t fuck with Cannibal Town’.

He couldn’t help but wonder about the little vixen, and how Angel had assured him that Valentino was actually scared of her. ‘Stop it. You’re supposed to be visiting your friend,’ he chided himself as he rubbed soothing circles over Rosie’s back. She turned her head to look at him gratefully.

“I’ve really missed you, sweetheart. These walls have really lost some’ a their sparkle without you.” She sighed and leaned into him, and he let her, wrapping his arms around her fondly.

“I’ve missed you too, my dear,” he replied before they separated.

“How about a cup of coffee and a nice steak? I have some lovely cervid sinner in the meat locker.” Rosie clapped her hands together after Alastor nodded happily at her offer.

The two stepped down into her large kitchen and Rosie opened her meat locker to grab out their prospective cuts. She double checked his preference and got to work on tenderizing the meat as Alastor set to chopping up herbs and vegetables. He’d always loved cooking with his mother, and it later translated to his joy in cooking with his friends. They settled into a comfortable rhythm and within an hour they sat back in her parlor, a delicious feast steaming in front of them.

Rosie truly had impeccable taste when procuring meat- the meal was spectacular! They finished dinner with a glass of gin and rye before bidding each other farewell, Alastor humming happily to himself.

As he made his way down the lane, he noticed a group of cannibettes saying their goodbyes outside of a cafe. What caught his attention instantly was the lovely Vixen parting from the group- how had he never noticed her before? ‘Would you have been interested in her before knowing her capacity and desire for pain?’ his shade chittered from within, his essence ruffling with annoyance. Well, he couldn’t deny the shadow’s logic- even when running into her at the butcher’s shop, he’d only thought her pretty and polite at best.

He shadowed himself around the corner so as to put himself in her field of vision before resuming his walk. Time to test some choppy waters- perhaps he could get a better read on her. Keeping his face chipper and his eyes facing forward, he observed the vixen as she turned to make her way to her next destination. He knew the moment she noticed him, a prick of excitement rising in his throat as he did his best to appear calm and unbothered.

He gave her a moment to observe before meeting her gaze and shadowing over to form in front of her. Her steps faltered and he shot his hand out to steady her, his heart skipping a beat as her crimson eyes landed on him. Satan give him strength, she was lovely…

“Good evening, my dear! I was hoping I’d run into you. Our dear friend Angel Dust showed me your work on the picture show- what a performance!” He silently patted himself on the back for his quick thinking; the mention of their mutual acquaintance should help set her at ease- hopefully. He took the time to regard her as she worked to overcome her shock at his sudden appearance.

“Thank you, sir. I’m honored you enjoyed the show,” she smiled demurely up at him, and his breath caught. A voice like honey… What would it sound like over his airwaves? “Wait, you know Angel?”

He nodded excitedly, glad that he’d kept his manners (mostly) around the spider. Wouldn’t want him telling her anything too bad.

“Yes indeedy! Our dear Angel is staying at the hotel I’m hosting now. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? The Hazbin Hotel.” He saw a small spark of recognition in her gaze at the mention of the hotel.

“Is that so? You must be incredibly busy- quite the project to take on,” she replied, her posture relaxing. Good, he wanted her comfortable for what he was about to ask- if he could just muster the courage to do so. It took him a moment before he felt his voice strong enough to form his words.

“Would you like to go to lunch tomorrow? I’d love to pick your brain on your process. It’s positively inspiring how you were able to sit still for an entire flaying without losing consciousness! I must say, I am quite a fan of yours, my dear.” There. He’d done it. Now he would have his answer and be it a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, he wouldn’t have to constantly fret over the ‘what ifs’. He smiled as pleasantly as he could down at her and noticed her expression brighten.

“I would love to! I must confess I’ve been a fan of yours since your debut. I tend to be a late sleeper though, so what do you say to brunch?”

He was taken aback for a moment- how old was this demon, to have been around for his debut? Also, not his best moment, but she seemed to also be a fan of his. Perhaps that’s why she’d been so polite and pleasant at the butcher shop- What luck!

“Brunch would be lovely, dear. Would you prefer to meet somewhere or may I escort you?” She seemed to be taken aback for a moment before giving her answer with a lovely smile.

“Well, if you wouldn’t be opposed, I would love to see this Hazbin Hotel you speak of. Perhaps I escort you to brunch and you escort me home afterwards?” A wonderful compromise! His heart raced in his ears as he held in his excitement.

“Fantastic! What time would work best for you? Say around 11:30? Or perhaps something later?” He noticed a small blush rising in her cheeks as she replied, “11:30 it is.” Was she blushing for him? He was practically vibrating in anticipation. Is this how normal people felt when interacting romantically? Is this how he’d made all those women feel when he’d been alive? He’d definitely need to do some research on the subject, daunting as the task felt.

He did his best not to stare too blatantly as he gave her some directions to the hotel, and they parted ways. He could barely contain his excitement for their date! ‘Not a date. Just two people who admire the other’s work,’ he thought as he shadowed back over to Rosie’s to request a possible table for brunch. If anything went awry, hopefully she would be able to assist him in navigating. And perhaps if all went well, a deal might be struck by the end of the day.

She’d laughed heartily and teased him for “being so adorable, asking for a chaperone”. No matter. If it earned him her assistance, he’d happily let her taunt him for the rest of their eternity.

He shadowed himself home and picked up a romance novel- one of many Rosie had gifted him over the years as jokes. He could of course always fall back on his moves from his living days, but who knew how well that worked today? No, he definitely needed to update his flirting. Although, her being an older demon, she may find his outdated attempts flattering. The night passed slowly as he read book after book, taking down notes when he found something appealing and sneering when he found something distasteful. He was determined to be prepared for tomorrow, no matter what happened. It was nights like tonight that he was very glad he never felt the need for sleep, although he doubted he’d be able to even if he did.

When finally he had filled half of his notebook, he felt more prepared, but also more anxious. He passed the rest of the evening running through his bayou, hunting down and devouring any prey he could find with his shadow. The morning could not come soon enough for either of them.

[moviemosaics]

My picks for the best film performances of 2023

Petri Poikolainen as Jaako Järvinen—The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic

Clare Perkins as Cleve—Medusa Deluxe

Babetida Sadjo as Marie Cisse—Our Father, The Devil

Gael García Bernal as Saúl Armendáriz/Cassandro—Cassandro

Catalina Saavedra as Vero—Rotting in the Sun

Denis Ménochet as Antoine—The Beasts

Greta Lee as Nora Moon—Past Lives

Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry—May December

Kōji Yakusho as Hirayama—Perfect Days

Souleymane Sy Savane as Father Patrick—Our Father, The Devil

Emma Stone as Bella Baxter—Poor Things

Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison—American Fiction

Rossy de Palma as Masilda—Carmen

Vivian Oparah as Yas—Rye Lane

Teo Yoo as Hae Sung—Past Lives

You can see my full list of 100 favorite performances of 2023 at this link!

[lightsonparkave]

The future is yet to be written, its pages fresh and untouched. The dawn of a new year brings great possibility and hope for a better life, a better world.

The theme for Lights on Park Ave Round 51 is hope. As a reminder, each round will now be two months long, at least for the time being.

Here are the prompts:

Waymond telling Evelyn that he chooses to see the good in things to survive in the Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once

"Insha'Allah" by Danusha Laméris

A quote from The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket about hoping for the best despite the odds

"Arrival of the Birds" - The Cinematic Orchestra

"Transformation" - The Cinematic Orchestra

Sookhee throwing Hideko's glove, fake wedding ring, and fake mustache overboard as they escape to a life of freedom together from Park Chanwook's The Handmaiden

Almond Blossom by Vincent van Gogh with accompanying information about the painting

"Let there be new flowering" - Lucille Clifton

Dom telling Yas's ex that he doesn't know how things will end with Yas, but the day they spent together was one of the best and weirdest days ever from Raine Allen-Miller's Rye Lane

A quote about being tortured by hope from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

An excerpt about turning hope into action from Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit

"Agape" - Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk OST)

A sentence about the moment before arrival from Eros the Bittersweet by Anne Carson

A text post about the significance behind the Voyager Golden Record

The Doctor saying that out of the entire universe, the one thing he believes in is Rose from Doctor Who

Steve realizing they won and smiling at Tony after the Battle of New York in The Avengers

Round 51 will end on February 29, 11:59 PM ET (what time is that for me?). It's a leap year so you have one extra day!

As always, you’re free to jump in whenever you’d like during the round, a wide variety of work types is accepted, and there are no minimum work requirements. Unfinished works and works for other fandom events are allowed. You can find more information about Lights on Park Ave and the participation guidelines here.

[isabel-rubin]

Rye Lane (2023)

Rye Lane, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, is a British romantic comedy that was released in 2023 and follows the love story of Yas and Dom, primarily through the course of just one day. Their story begins at a mutual friend’s art exhibition, where Yas overhears Dom crying in a stall of the unisex bathroom. Ironically, he is in tears over a video of his ex-girlfriend cheating on him with his best friend, Eric, which turns out to be the factor that steers Yas and Dom’s relationship in a more romantic direction.

They meet officially while admiring one of the weird, quirky art pieces at the exhibition and quickly start to bond over their shared connection. Dom tells Yas that he has a meeting later that day with his ex-girlfriend and best friend to sort of “clear the air” about their relationship and get closure. During an awkward dinner between Dom, Eric, and his ex-girlfriend Gia, Yas butts in, greeting Dom with a kiss on his cheek and immediately pretending to be the new girl he is talking to as a way to make Gia jealous. This tactic ultimately works and embarrasses Gia, and Dom takes an even bigger liking to Yas after she “saved” him from his situation and gave him the ability to move on from that relationship that was taking such a toll on his well-being. They continue to spend the day together, and Yas reveals to Dom that she left her beloved Tribe Called Quest record at her ex-boyfriend’s house and wants to retrieve it. The two have a conflict that causes their falling out but ultimately end up together after months of trying to move on from one another but simply not being able to, which is very common for a romantic comedy.

Rye Lane centers around two Black characters, and a predominantly Black cast. Rom coms are a movie genre that typically lack representation and even when they do represent people of color, they are often stereotyped or placed as side characters as a tool for comedic relief. Their race is acknowledged in the movie but is not a main focus of the plot. In terms of gender roles, there is not a hierarchy or dominant figure within their romance which makes it a very level, respectful relationship. Yas has a more extroverted and outgoing personality, while Dom is more reserved, but they complement each other. This is enhanced through their dialogue aabd interactions with other characters throughout the film. Something very unique about this film that deserves to be noted and recognized is its use of color, movement, and camera work to further elevate the story. I have personally never seen a movie that uses such a creative approach to tell stories, especially with the way it portrays flashbacks. It uses a technique that puts the character telling the story physically into the shot of the flashback and has them interact with their past self or whoever is in the story. The color choices are usually very intense and vibrant and subvert what I have seen in other romantic comedies, which often lack that sort of cinematic aspect. Much of the film is shot from a lens that gives a fish-eye effect, which I had also never seen before specifically within this genre. I think this film is very groundbreaking and a heartwarming portrayal of a contemporary romantic relationship.

[geekswhoeat]

Yas' Spiced Hummus: A Rye Lane Inspired Recipe

Yas' Spiced Hummus: A Rye Lane Inspired Recipe

This past January we participated in the Sundance Film Festival’s virtual film festival. One of the films we didn’t get an opportunity to see was Rye Lane due to it only being an in-person showing. Fortunately, we were able to see an early screener and came up with a really fun recipe inspired by the film, Yas’ Spiced Hummus. In Rye Lane, “two twenty-somethings, both reeling from bad break-ups,…

[disappointingyet]

Rye Lane

Director Raine Allen-Miller Stars Vivian Oparah, David Jonsson UK 2023 Language English 1hr 22mins Colour

Top-notch romcom that strolls the streets of SE15 and SW9

The test I (probably unfairly) apply to anything filmed somewhere I know well is: does the geography make sense? If, for instance, the characters buy takeaway food and then the next time you see them, they are in the park, is that park somewhere you would logically walk to from the market you were just in?

The Ritzy, innit?

Rye Lane passes that test again and again. For anyone who has spent a lot of time in Peckham and Brixton, there are bountiful moments of familiarity, generally unpunctured by the thought ‘Hang on…’

But we’re here to figure whether this works as a film, not just whether it appeases pedantic locals. The huge pleasing news is yes: it’s extremely funny and fantastically likeable.

It all starts in the non-gendered toilets of a Peckham art gallery, where Dom (David Jonsson) is sobbing and Yas (Vivian Oparah) is trying to have a piss. A few minutes later, they formally meet – he’s a friend of Nathan (Simon Manyonda – getting maximum value from limited screen time), the photographer exhibiting, she’s a mate of Cass, Nathan’s girlfriend (Poppy Allen-Quarmby). Dom and Yas leave at the same time, and at some point, they go from walking in vaguely the same direction to deliberately walking together, and this turns to into a long, and eventually incident-packed day together.

Although much of is shot in real places, the filming style is not realistic. There’s frequent use of fisheye lenses, and there are things such as Dom giving his account of something that happened at a cinema, that being reconstructed for us on screen, and then when we get back to them talking, Yas has a box of movie popcorn in her hand. 

The film has a distinctive look, with lots of bright colours in the costumes and around the place.

Some things I think it’s worth saying about Rye Lane. The first is that this film isn’t here to dismantle the rules of the romcom. It stays within genre lines – but manages to make most of that stuff feel fresh again.

The second is that this is a film with a black director and predominantly black cast that mostly takes place in Peckham and Brixton, two of the flashpoints of the gentrification debate. That’s not a debate this film gets itself involved in. There are absurd white Peckham hipsters on show, but there are also absurd black hipsters too. This is not, repeat not, a criticism of Rye Lane ��� just a clarification of what it is and what it isn’t. (If that’s the film you are after, try this.) Instead, we get a mixture of young folk having fun with occasional warmly affectionate portraits of family life.

Thirdly, the film is not straining to be a snapshot of the culture right now. It’s not dense with this month’s slang, and the two songs and one album-on-vinyl that get key moments in the film are from the late 1980s and early’90s – ie before the characters were born and thus safely timeless.

I think Rye Lane gets the crucial things right: it’s properly funny, the characters make sense, the sense of place is terrific. It’s good enough to do the transport-related romcom ending without making me too grumpy. I love movies with two people walking around chatting, and this is the best I’ve seen in a long time.  (PS: not sure how it's doing elsewhere, but it's still seems to be in most South London cinemas a month after its release, so the locals are loving it.)

[reviewsfromreel]

Rye Lane (2023) - Review

Director: Raine Allen-Miller

Runtime: 1h 22mins

Comedy, Romance

A chance meeting at a mutual friend’s art exhibit leads Dom and Yas on an eventful night through South London, reflecting on their respective break-ups.

Raine Allen-Miller’s vibrant romantic comedy is a celebration of its surroundings. Done in the style of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise, in which two people fall in love over a single night, Rye Lane swaps the serene streets of Vienna for the unique cultural collage of South London. It pops with personality and colour as its central romance blossoms around it – understanding that despite being an oversaturated genre, it’s about how much originality you’re willing to put into it. 

Dom, a shy accountant who’s previous girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend, finally starts to embrace his independence thanks to the palpable energy of Yas which he deems “iconic”. And that iconism is what drives Yas closer to Dom, finally seeing herself as something outside of her previous breakup. It’s a wonderfully balanced relationship that subtly blossoms against the colourful backdrop Raine Allen-Miller is painting for us. 

Often when we see London on screen it’s shown as a dismal, paint by numbers, melancholic place that never captures the more specific parts of the city. But, Rye Lane offers us a near surreal imagining of South London. Every turn our characters take offers its audience a bizarre character to chuckle at or a new place to relish in. But, despite giving us so much to laugh at, Rye Lane is first and foremost a celebration – rejoicing in the diversity and individuality that the place has.

Too many times we’ve seen stuffy rom-coms become overbearing in their approach to romance, but Rye Lane’s focus on humour and chemistry is what allows the romance to sprout naturally. As Dom and Yas glide playfully through the streets of Brixton, seamlessly growing as a pair and bouncing off one another, it’s impossible not to root for their inevitable romance.

Arguably the film does follow a formulaic structure, but when there is this much originality it doesn’t really matter. Rye Lane is a fresh take on a genre that can often feel overplayed but thanks to a wonderful cast, fantastic humour and a genuine representation of its setting, it achieves a uniqueness that not many films have. 

4/5