Streaming services give the ability for previously unheard voices a chance to make something different. Falling in love is a tale as old as time. Falling in love in 1950s Harlem with a former football player turned jazz musician? That’s new. Eugene Ashe shows what else he brings to the table in Sylvie’s Love, a swoon fest that will melt and break hearts alike.
Nnamdi Asomugha, fresh off his career picking off passes, hopes to steal the heart of Sylvie (Tessa Thompson). Asomugha plays Robert, who, while aspiring for a music career, takes up a day job working in Mr. Jay’s (Lance Reddick) record store in 1950’s Harlem. There he meets Jay’s daughter Sylvie, a cultural obsessive equally infatuated by music and television programming. Sylvie and Robert hit it off immediately, but, because this is a movie, life has put up blockers: Sylvie’s engaged already, and Robert’s music career might lead him away for a while.
The joy of falling in love is intoxicating. For a movie director, preparation and casting is key. You need your audience to swoon with your leads, and want them to end up together. Fortunately newcomer Ashe scores a touchdown with his leads. Thompson is born to be a star, and has finally found a leading role befitting her talents here with Sylvie. With that kind of talent, she can carry the movie when it needs her to, and help the more novice Asomugha. Although, she doesn’t have to carry as much as you think: Asomugha is great playing the reserved doppelganger, carrying emotional baggage inside and letting it slowly out when asked to. The pair play off each other so well, Ashe can focus on other things around them, like transporting them back in time to 50s New York City. The first time director excels recreating these gorgeous jazz clubs, streets, and house parties that are both recognizable and period specific, helping paint the pretty movie mosaic of young love.
In addition to excellent directing, Eugene Ashe proves he’s a dual threat, showing off some wonderful writing skills too. If the movie were only a love story, that would have been enough to be decent. What picks Sylvie’s Love up a notch is how smoothly a lot of the film flows. Conflicts arise organically instead of using ultimatums or plot devices: one common device in fact is used to almost toy with the audience expectations when you realize how little it matters to the story. Even though Robert and Sylvie’s love is strong, sometimes that isn’t enough. There’s a whole world that is constantly threatening that love, and Sylvie and Robert understand consequences well enough to make at least informed decisions. Sylvie’s arc in general is fascinating to watch, especially seeing how Sylvie’s Love changes over time. There’s maybe a tad too much idealism in people’s actions here, but it’s about time we had a black story that isn’t totally informed by racism in society: where black people can just, live for love.
With a gameplan as good as Eugene Ashe has, Sylvie’s Love lets Tessa Thompson and Nnandi Asomugha march down the field and score. Over and over again. I don’t know how many Awwwww’s I muttered, but it was a lot, which means by the end, Sylvie’s Love was in Victory Formation, winning over my heart. I think I got all of the football metaphors out of me, but when the most highly paid defensive back in the NFL at one time stars in your film, sometimes you just can’t help it.