My TV Taxi
Stephany Wilson

Starz! powerful romantic tragedy keeps you guessing

It’s 1974. Alan (Joseph Fiennes) is working as a cabana boy at a beach resort in Florida. Ella (Gretchen Mol) emerges from the ocean waves in a Venus-like vision. Her wet blond curls frame her porcelain face. He is paralyzed and entranced by her beauty. She walks over to her towel where her husband (Ray Liotta) is on the phone with a client. These events set the scene for the romantic tragedy, Forever Mine, premiering on Starz! Nov. 12 at 8 pm ET.

So the stage is set: A cabana boy fancies a rich young woman who is obviously unhappily married. Within minutes of the opening scene, your mind is brimming with questions. When will they get together? Will they be able to stay together? Will the husband find out? If so, how will he react?

Alan is a classic romantic. He is completely unable to withhold his feelings for Ella. "I think you’re extraordinary," he tells her. Under the privacy of a soft pastel umbrella, the two kiss. They plan a secret rendezvous and Alan tells Ella stories of their imaginary life together. She inquires about how it turns out and he replies, "I think it has a happy ending." Later, in a fairly explicit scene, the two make love.

All the while, you wait and wonder when they will get caught. The film draws you in to the young couple’s fantasy. You want Ella to leave her inattentive husband. You want the lovers to live in fairytale bliss. But, of course, that wouldn’t make much of a movie, would it?

Nope. So, the plot thickens. There is a horrific and brutal turning point and from that time on, the writers tease you with the possibility of the young lovers’ success. Each time you let down your guard, the story seems to pop up from nowhere and kick you in the gut. The plot twists and turns. By the time it is all over, your stomach is literally in knots.

The dialog is full of Old World, Shakespeare-esque phrases that add to the classic feel of this picture. They often seem like something you might find quoted on a tea bag. Phrases like, "Refusal to love is just an excuse for cowardice … emotional cowardice." Out of context, these might sound cheesy but they serve to enhance the romantic nature of this disastrous story.

Watching Forever Mine is very similar to the riveting experience of reading a great classic tragedy. The film conjures up parallels with the archetypal Romeo and Juliet. You can’t help but wonder if Alan and Ella will end up in a similar catastrophic ending.

This film is not for the weak-hearted, especially if you are a hopeless romantic. It pulls at your heartstrings with a rare vigor. Forever Mine is so powerful it is almost painful.