WHEN YOU ARE BEING ASKED, “DO you take this person to be your lawfully wedded…in sickness and health,” the answer is not, “Maybe, I do.” I have known a small group of couples where one of them became ill and their spouse did not want to deal with it. One individual initiated a divorce, and from a different couple the person did nothing to help their spouse through their illness. It was appalling and sad. My belief in the power and full meaning of the words, “I do” was not as solid when I first started out in the dating world and began forming long-term relationships. I have mentioned before that I refer to myself as a part-time germaphobe, where I avoid touching door handles or shaking hands with strangers, for example. When the person I was with in the relationship got sick with a cold or flu, I would sleep on the couch instead of our bed; I was afraid of catching whatever they had. I do not know how I changed this behavior but can recall clearly who I was with at the time that altered my concern from my health to their wellbeing. We had been dating for over one year before they started getting unexplained symptoms that affected their digestive system. I never waivered in being there for them, helping with whatever they needed and sleeping together in our bed. Because this was a new phenomenon for me, caring more about the person than myself, I realized that the only logical answer was that I was truly in love. I was more worried about them than myself. Gratefully, the right doctors were found, and their issue was cured over the course of a few months. HAVING THAT “AHA MOMENT” PREPARED ME for when I was standing in front of our friends and relatives and was asked the marriage question. My reply was, “I do!” Both of us realize as we get older, things may happen; that is just the way life is and all we can do is try to stay in shape and stay healthy as best we can. I remember walking into the dining room and seeing them staring at their dinner on the dining room table. Just sitting and staring. I asked what was wrong and they said they were not sure what they were supposed to do. I was perplexed and because I am a defensive pessimist I started going through different scenarios in my head, while peppering them with questions. I thought maybe they were having a stroke, and I was about to call 911, when they asked for something that sounded like orange juice. Upon drinking some and quietly sitting in their chair, they started becoming rational again. It was a scary moment, but it also reminded me the power when we said to each other, “I do.” With the way I feel about this commitment, I thoroughly appreciated what the couple had in this romantic drama. HAVING MET IN SUCH UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, a young chef and divorcee begin to form what they think is a perfect union. With Andrew Garfield (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Hacksaw Ridge) as Tobias, Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Dune: Part Two) as Almut, newcomer Lee Braithwaite as Jade, Aoife Hinds (Scoop, Cottontail) as Skye, and Adam James (The Penitent, Hotel Portofino-TV) as Simon Maxson; the beginning of this film kept confusing me with its out of order snippets of the main stars’ interactions through life. I felt the way scenes were randomly jumping into various stages of their lives was a distraction. However, as time went by, I found myself getting in synch with the rhythm of the pacing and started to focus on the main couple. Andrew’s and Florence’s chemistry towards each other was electrifying. They did a fantastic job with the script and elevated the story to a higher level. I feel this story could have settled into a sticky sweetness if it were not for the two of them. Near the end of the movie, I felt like I had gone through a photo album that showed their life together, and oh what a life it was for them.
3 ¼ stars