Utterly charming and pulsating with color, "Rye Lane" is director Raine Allen-Miller's fabulous feature debut about two strangers, the introspective Dom (David Jonsson) and the refreshingly disarming Yas (Vivian Oparah), who meet cute at an art opening. The pair form a quick connection and soon spend the rest of the day together getting to know each other. Both are recovering from breakups, and as they reveal their vulnerabilities, they bond. Sometimes this involves karaoke, and sometimes it involves breaking into an ex's apartment to retrieve a sentimental object.
Both Jonsson and Oparah are charismatic leads, but the film is visually dynamic with terrific flashbacks and fantasy sequences. Allen-Miller also establishes a keen sense of place in the various ethnic food shops — one features a clever cameo — in this South London district in Peckham. But what makes "Rye Lane" magical is the way the two characters help each other become their best selves by just seeing what happens.
