Sylvie’s love
Director – Eugene Ashe
Fused – Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Aja Naomi King, Eva Longoria, Lance Reddick, Jemima Kirke
Sylvie’s Love, the new romantic melodrama from Amazon Prime Video, opens with a luxurious title sequence – the kind of title sequence that immediately evokes memories of a very particular era of cinema. Each actor receives an individual card, with their characters’ names displayed in bold yellow, as if everyone is playing notable historical figures.
Today, filmmakers underestimate the power of a good title sequence. It is a dying art. One of the stealth services it offers, among others, is to immediately convey the tone of the film and attract the audience even before the story begins. The opening title sequence for Sylvie’s Love, which opens the hat to the 60s, does both.
See the Sylvie’s Love trailer here
But once our attention was drawn and the retro tone of the movie announced, Sylvie’s Love found himself so involved in his stylistic adventures that he often forgets simple issues like character development. Not only does it visually evoke a past era in cinema – it is shot in 16mm grainy film – it also follows, somewhat religiously, the storytelling style of classic Hollywood novels. And it does this, unlike La La Land or the recent Mank, without putting a contemporary touch on the material.
Directed by Eugene Ashe, the spectacular Sundance film is similar to Damien Chazelle’s masterpiece in many ways. But it also addresses some of the criticisms that were directed at this musical.
Like La La Land, he tells the unfortunate love story of an emerging jazz musician and a young woman who aspires to work in the entertainment industry. They meet at her father’s record store, where he gets a day job. In the evenings, he plays the saxophone with his band at the local jazz clubs. But this time, critically, both protagonists are black.
Tessa Thompson plays Sylvie, who one day dreams of directing her own television show, but does not know if she will be allowed to do so. She is at a disadvantage, both racially and because of her gender. But Robert, on the other hand, is operating in a world dominated by black men. This brings its own unique challenges.
Sparks fly like the link over Miles Davis’ latest album and quick conversations under the nose of Sylvie’s father. Before you know it, Robert is asking her to come and watch him play. But true to its old school melodrama nature, the film puts its protagonists into action with a series of planned setbacks, the first of which is Sylvie’s impending wedding.
Nnamdi Asomugha, left, and Tessa Thompson appear in a scene from Sylvie’s Love. (AP)
The film offers a refreshing perspective on the inner class structures of the black community. It would not be an exaggeration to describe it as a fairy tale. Sylvie is, in many ways, a waiting princess – a prominent member of the community, with her future carefully planned for her. She can’t be playing with an aladdin-like street rat.
And, like an old Disney movie, there are some ethical concerns you may have with certain events. For example, in getting involved with Robert, Sylvie is, after all, cheating on her fiance. And when, on setback number two, Robert receives an offer to go to Paris with his band, not once has it crossed his mind to stay with her. Instead, he presses her when he says ‘we are all that matters’ and asks her to go with him.
It turns out that the film’s gender policies are also tied to the past. And that is the main problem with that. It is very dependent on outdated narrative devices to appeal in any way to a discerning contemporary audience. It’s all very cute when the characters say things like “Charmed, I’m sure” and “Can I have the pleasure of this dance?” in casual conversation, but the sight of an independent woman chasing a man who has turned his back on her is not an easy thing to understand.
That said, one should not forget his contributions to black cinema. Along with Pixar’s Soul and the tremendous Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sylvie’s Love is the third film this month to highlight the artistic achievements of underrepresented culture. Watching as part of a hot Christmas triple project, maybe?
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The tweeting author @RohanNaahar