Weeping in a unisex bathroom … sounds like a 21st Century Norman Rockwell, huh? Actually, it’s the opening to an off-beat losers-bracket romance between Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah).
It’s possible, but very unlikely, that Dom didn’t know he wasn’t alone. It’s very possible he didn’t care, having just broken up with his six-year relationship. The venue is an art exhibition devoted to the photography of British mouths. (Well, just “mouths,” but since the thing is set in London, you be the judge.) So I repeat that: British Mouth Art. :shudder: what is this, a dentist convention?
Outside the loo, Yas recognizes the shoes of the weeping stall occupier and chats Dom up. It’s possible she just kinda feels sorry for him, but the two form a fast friendship and decide to walk through the Rye Lane market together. Dom is on his way to lunch with his ex, Gia (Karene Peter), and the guy she’s been cheating on Dom with, Eric (Benjamin Sarpong-Broni).
Eric is Dom’s best mate. Um. Eric was Dom’s best mate.
The film took off for me when Yas, unbidden and specifically requested to stay away, breaks in on lunch to boost Dom. If you’re not rooting for this moment, I kinda feel sorry for you and envious at the same time, for it’s clear you’ve never known the pain of romance. If Dom and Yas weren’t a thing before, they sure are now.
Don’t worry about the uneven nature of this budding romance; Yas has demons of her own … and she has someone to help fight in her corner, now, too. This is a summit of two who are no strangers to rejection. Does it make them any less worthy? Of course not. All it 
really makes them is vulnerable, which to some is the most attractive quality there is.
Rye Lane is a quiet and unassuming romcom. There’s no celebrity or world-saving here among the principals. He wants to be an accountant; she wants to be a costume designer. That’s it. No megalomania. No saving the planet. These are simply two struggling souls searching for a like mind. The film has a lot of fun with music, whether it’s demonstrating Dom ‘s pathetic playlist or insisting upon the leads coming alive at karaoke. I wouldn’t have guessed “Sign Your Name” to be quite the romantic anthem it’s played up to be, but in a way that makes the film all the more endearing.
If nothing else, and I do mean even if nothing in this film strikes you at all, one has to appreciate the Colin Firth cameo as “burrito maker.”
Rye Lane is one of those “wait. That’s it?!” films where you plead to the screen that you were enjoying it. Isn’t there anymore? Will there be a TV show? Obviously, it’s a good sign if you want more of a film, but at 82 minutes, Rye Lane is embarrassingly abbreviated, as if the director just ran out of film. “Sorry, we have to stop here; I can’t afford any more cinematography.” The result is Rye Lane comes off as both a bit shallow and a bit trivial, neither of which is true. I just wanted a little more depth here than 82 minutes allowed.
There once was a dude named Dom
Who got abused like a loser at prom
Yet he rebounded, it’s true
Starting out in the loo
An unlikely place to begin your romcom
Rated R, 82 Minutes
Director: Raine Allen-Miller
Writer: Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia
Genre: Romance in the losers bracket
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: The unlucky at love
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Bullies
