The theme... FORBIDDEN LOVE

STORIES OF STAR-CROSSED LOVERS ARE AS OLD AS THE MONTAGUES AND CAPULETS, BUT TABOO TRYSTS STILL REIGN

“THE DRAMA FOCUSES ON THE WOMAN AT ITS CORE: CHRISTINE KEELER”

For a page-turner that subverts Lolita for a post #MeToo climate, delve into My Dark Vanessa (out 31 March), the biggest debut novel of the year, by US writer Kate Elizabeth Russell. Aged 32, Vanessa is forced to redefine the greatest love story of her life, her sexual awakening with her English teacher when she was 15. Was she a teenage temptress, or a victim of manipulation? This era-defining novel offers a nuanced and uncomfortable take on a complex issue. Next, tune in to The Trial of Christine Keeler on BBC One, which sheds light on one of the most infamous British political scandals, the Profumo Affair of 1963. Penned by Bafta-winning screenwriter Amanda Coe, it focuses on the often scapegoated woman at its centre: 19-year-old model Christine Keeler (left; played by Sophie Cookson, right) who famously almost brought down Parliament after her affair with both a government minister and a Soviet naval captain. Finally, don’t miss Venice International Film Festival standout Portrait of a Lady on Fire (out 28 February), a tale of love between Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), the daughter of an 18th-century French countess, and Marianne (Noémie Merlant) an artist commissioned to paint her wedding portrait. Though forced apart, their electric bond is centred around a reciprocated gaze. It was the first film directed by a woman (Céline Sciamma) to win the Queer Palm at Cannes.