Quest for Love (1971)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Firstly, I applaud jekyll-booty1's review. Secondly this film, when watched as I did, mesmerised, from the first rather expositional minutes of set-up, is beautifully engaging to behold. The premise is so easy to go with, that the actual acting performances shine far beyond the mere scripting of character and circumstance would seem to allow. We want the alternative universe's possibility to live beyond the, somewhat jaded, actuality that provokes the sewer as the impossible, alternative, romance unfolds. Tom Bell does his profession justice. Joan Collins gets a bit of careful soft-focus allure but still runs well with the rather restrictive role the script provides her with (air hostess ?). A cracking TV film for an otherwise dreary mid-week slot, but so above the other too pedestrian fodder offered. Remarkable both for it's evergreen poignancy and it's disdainful yet life-affirming regard for one's world-weary, all-too-knowing, regrets and schadenfreude.

Sweet movie involving love and time travel (or a parallel universe created by time travel. Joan Collins sort of reprises her Edith Keeler role (Star Trek's acclaimed The City on Edge of Forever episode), and once again must die (though not to save history - it's just her sad lot). In this story, however, there is a consolation prize for the hero (and vicariously for the viewers) in that her other-world (our world) version is just as sweet and, thanks to our hero, does not have to suffer the same fate.The movie runtime is under 1.5 hours, so why my summary Longest Movie ever? I saw this movie on TV I believe around 1989 or 1990. I liked it and wanted to show it to my wife and both our parents, so I set the VCR to record another showing of it which was set for 1:30am. When the opportunity arose, I sat them all to watch it when, about an hour into the movie it abruptly stopped - the recording had failed for some reason! I felt awful to subject them to that, leaving them in suspense / cliffhanger, so I promised to rerecord it and resume the showing ASAP.Well, I was not able to find it on TV, movie rental stores, or (later) the internet - until this week. And so, yesterday, after 20 years, I sat down my wife and the surviving 3 parents to (watch it from the start and) finally conclude the movie.What a relief!!

The genre of SF romances is pretty slim, and well done ones even slimmer still. The only two that leap immediately to mind are "Quest For Love" and "Late For Dinner". They both rank among my favorite films. For the romantically inclined, both are also worth at least two hankies (one reason I never watch either with anyone other than my wife).Joan Collins looks superb (as usual) and gives an excellent, understated performance (hardly usual!) Rather than her typical shrew or strumpet (I'm trying hard to avoid adjectives that would violate the guidelines), she is a genuinely warm and sympathetic character. Aside from the voodoo that transports the protagonist into a parallel universe, the SF aspects are well constructed and don't overwhelm what is, at its core, a touching love story. The parallel universe plot is a much more effective metaphor in this case than the typical time travel gimmick common to most "what if" films such as this.The pacing could be better and the script could have benefitted from one more revision, but it's still quite satisfying overall.P.S. Apparently, like "Late For Dinner", "Quest For Love" is currently out of print on home video. I therefore feel fortunate to have both (QFL on Beta and LFD on VHS), so there are real official copies in existence which a diligent search might turn up.

An English Physicist (Tom Bell), testing an experimental nuclear accelerator, is transported across a parallel universe into a more peaceful but less technically advanced world. The staid physicist discovers that, in this world, he is a morally decadent playwright; and, more importantly, the physicist meets the woman of his dreams: his wife! (Joan Collins) The physicist immediately sets out to win back the affections of his wife; and, when he returns to our universe, to locate her again.The performances are uniformly excellent. Joan Collins is one of the few actresses who plays "saints" and "vixens" with equal aplomb. Special kudos to Tom Bell for being convincingly "smitten" without being sappy.Ironically, the film is least convincing in "our universe." The initial exposition is hurried, as are the closing sequences of the film. Considering the largely excellent writing (story credited to John Wyndham), the most likely explanation is a rushed shooting schedule, due to budget constraints. This is also apparent with the music, which seems to belong in a different movie.The lack of special effects actually embellishes the story, until the physicist's "return." This occurs with no forshadowing, and seems more a plot device than an integral part of the tale. Effects would have gone a long way toward covering the holes in the story. (i.e., Why is a scientist so convinced what happened to him was real? Since HE was so different in the parallel world, why doesn't he fear SHE will be different?)Still, with the imaginative writing and excellent performances make this worthy viewing, IF you can find it.