Review: British rom-com 'Rye Lane' as charming as it is visually bold

British filmmaker Raine Allen-Miller pegs herself as a filmmaker to watch with "Rye Lane," her feature debut, a vibrant, colorful and hugely charming romantic comedy that is not your typical boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy, and together they try to steal back a copy of A Tribe Called Quest's "The Low End Theory" from one of their exes type of love story.

David Jonsson plays Dom and Vivian Oparah is a spitfire as Yas, short for Yasmine, a pair of South Londoners who meet in the gender neutral bathroom of an art exhibit curated by their mutual friend. Dom is getting over a recent breakup and Yas is just the unpredictable spark he needs, and they spend the day together, getting to know one another and exploring the nooks and crannies of their town.

The two performers are a breath of fresh air, as is Allen-Miller's bubbly sense of visual whimsy. She brings a real sense of ebullience to her storytelling and to Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia's script, often shooting in exaggerated wide lenses and using a bold palette full of eye-popping primary colors which, in her hands, burst off the screen. Her world is as inviting as it is inventive.

A really fun cameo pays homage to a certain legendary British rom-com, and indicates that word is out about Allen-Miller. She won't be a secret much longer. And with "Rye Lane" as her calling card, her future is as bright as her stunning worldview.

'Rye Lane'

GRADE: A-

Rated R: for language, some sexual content and nudity

Running time: 82 minutes

On Hulu

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