“Life’s too short to waste time with things you don’t absolutely love”-Sylvie’s Love.
Vintage love shines in Sylvie’s Love, premiering December 23 on Amazon Prime. Staring Tessa Thompson as Sylvie and Nnamdi Asomugha as Robert, Sylvie’s Love tells the story of a love that is extraordinary. Set in New York during the 50s, Sylvie dreams of a future in television. Engaged, she spends most of her time in her father’s record store, watching tv and daydreaming. Robert is an up-and-coming saxophonist and member of a quartet. He spends his evenings playing in local jazz clubs. When Robert begins working part-time at the record store, a friendship between the two blossoms into a passion-filled summer love affair. As the season ends, Robert travels to Paris to pursue his music. Sylvie prepares to welcome her fiancé home from the war and begin her new life as a wife and future TV producer. Years go by, and a chance meeting reignites the love they never forgot.
Writer and director Eugene Ashe said he found inspiration in the photos of his family in the 50s. He wanted to create a love story between two black characters rarely portrayed in film.
“Sylvie’s Love is a passion project. Seeing my family’s old photographs and the way they carried themselves with such dignity, I wanted to create a love story that showed the sacrifices and tribulations of true love”.
Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha share incredible chemistry in Sylvie’s Love. As Robert, Asomugha is the epitome of “quiet strength.” He gives voice to Robert as a creative, talented, strong musician who is not afraid to love through his performance. He is both strong and vulnerable. Thompson shines as a strong and ambitious Sylvie. The film is set in a time when women were not expected to have careers outside of the home. Sylvie refuses to conform to society’s expectations. She seeks an identity that is not rooted in the man by her side.
A beautiful film, Sylvie’s Love, has incredible cinematography and photography. Composer Fabrice LeConte composed original music reminiscent of the quartets of old and working with larger ensembles to create the soundtrack, which will be available for streaming and on a special vinyl release. Every detail from the music, set, and costume design transport you back in time to the age of jazz clubs and music.
“It was important to me to create a story that put art, music, and love in the forefront, set in a world of old Hollywood glamour that has been lost in time. It brought a nostalgic air of romance, which to me, was both timeless and reminiscent of the era. “I want audiences to know we (Black People) are not our trauma. We are human. There’s depth. We are a monolith. We Love.”
Sylvie’s Love is a beautiful story with a primarily black cast about the enduring power of love. The film debuts on Amazon Prime Video on December 23.
Danielle Sanders is a writer and journalist living in Chicago. Find her on social media @DanieSandersOfficial.
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