“Sylvie’s Love” is a newly released PG-13 romantic movie that tells the heartwarming love story of a young woman named Sylvie Parker (Tessa Thompson), and a talented saxophonist Robert “Bobby” Halloway (Nnamdi Asomugha). The complexity of their relationship makes their story not only intriguing, but also a perfect movie for Valentine’s Day.

Sylvie lives in 1950s Harlem, New York, and accidentally runs into her old lover, Bobby. After this short interaction, the movie rewinds to follow the love story of the two characters five years earlier. 

It all starts when Bobby sees Sylvie through the window of her dad’s vinyl store, and decides to walk in after seeing a “Help Wanted” sign. Like love at first sight, Bobby is instantly drawn to Sylvie, despite learning that she has a fiance named Lacy (Alano Miller). However, Bobby’s persistence and charisma attracts Sylvie, and the two quickly fall for each other. 

Even though Sylvie really likes Bobby, she knows she cannot be with him as she has already promised herself to someone else. Her mother, Eunice (Erica Gimpel) disapproves of their relationship as she feels Bobby is not as high in class as Sylvie. Sylvie ignores outside opinions and continues to spend time with Bobby because she truly loves him. Both Sylvie and Bobby are passionate about their futures and striving to achieve their goals in a world filled with obstacles to overcome. When the film jumps back to the present, Bobby and Sylvie’s lives have changed but their attraction hasn’t.

The acting and chemistry between Asomugha and Thompson is phenomenal, as they both encompass the flirtatious and easy-going personalities of their characters. Both characters are passionate about making their dreams come true, which makes viewers intrigued as to how they accomplish them. The actual screenwriting builds suspense to the plot with realistic conflicts and character development that explores the complexities of relationships, social class, race and identity in America in the past, yet still remaining relevant today. 

The most prominent part of this film is the music, which most of the time was jazz; this perfectly encompasses the feel of the ’50s. Almost every scene is accompanied by a different jazz song which adds to the overall cheerful and romantic mood. One scene that stood out was when Bobby tried to get Sylvia’s attention through her window by playing the saxophone. It was a sweet, charming gesture that could make the least romantic person melt a little bit.  

I loved this movie. The fact that Sylvie and Bobby are so drawn to each other but cannot be together, builds tension, pulls readers in, and makes them root for this couple to overcome their obstacles to find happiness. The foreshadowing at the beginning of the movie was unique and made “Sylvie’s Love” different from more typical romantic films. 

If you enjoy watching romantic dramas and love the post-Harlem Renaissance time period, “Sylvie’s Love” is the perfect film for you. The easiest way to stream this film is on Amazon Prime where it is free!