Amazon Studio’s Sylvie’s Love is a love story about two people that meet one summer in 1957 and the journey love takes them on. Sylvie (Tessa Thompson) is a young woman working at her father’s record store. When she crosses paths with Robert (former NFL Pro Bowler Nnamdi Asomugha) a saxophonist in a jazz quartet, the two have an instant connection. Life has a way of throwing them both curve balls, yet love has them cross paths over-and-over again.

Written, directed, and produced by Eugene Ashe, Sylvie’s Love dives head first into love and never comes up for air. Much like La La Land, it is a film centers on a woman with dreams of working and a jazz musician trying to make his way while dealing with the death of his art. While La La Land was filled with huge set pieces and musical numbers, Sylvie’s Love is hyper focused on its two leads and the highs and lows of their relationship.

Although the supporting cast is great (AJa Naomi King, Eva Longoria, Alano Miller, Ron Funches, Ryan Michelle Bathe), the core of the film is the performances from Thompson and Asomugha). The two stars have incredible chemistry making it so much fun to watch them fall in love. There’s an intimacy in their performance that feels real. Their first “date” ends on such a sweet note. It’s a reminder that love can be all the great things we want it to be.

As the move progresses, you see love isn’t just those butterfly moments. Their relationship shows love is purposeful. Love is endurance, toughness, and sometimes painful. Love is shown as this unstoppable force and sometimes you can drown in it. None of the complex looks at what love is/can be works without the two leads making every smile and tear feel believable.

The film does excels at is pulling the audience into the story and investing them in Sylvie and Robert’s journey. Once you’re in the story, it’s hard not consider how you view love and what things you’re willing to sacrifice and what things you’re not.

Sylvie’s Love is a simple love story that does a lot with a little. It’s a simple story that combs through how complex and crazy love can be. It examines the joy and curiosity of new love and how vulnerable it is to allow yourself to be loved by someone else. It will encourage you to believe in love, even if you can’t fully understand it. 

Grade: A-