Quest for Love is a science fiction romance set in an alternate world. Physicist Colin Trafford (Tom Bell) during an experiment is sent across an alternate Britain in the 1970s which has not gone through World War 2, there is no war in Vietnam, man has not gone to space or even conquered Everest.Here Trafford is a noted but philandering playwright with a troubled marriage to former ballerina Ottilie (Joan Collins.) The new Trafford at first dazed and confused becomes immediately smitten with his wife and aims to woo her again but something is not right with her health. Trafford finds himself going back to his own world and tries to track down the same woman.Tom Bell was known for playing intense even bitter characters, so it is nice to see him play tender and romantic, although we do get angry and perplexed in the early scenes. Bell is matched by Collins who plays the alluring wife married to a fickle man in a nicely understated but charming way.The film loses a bit of impetus at the latter part of the film and also ends abruptly as if the budget ran out.

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!!

"Quest for love" came on local late night TV in Chicago a couple times in about 1977 and I've been looking for it ever since. Science fiction is far down the list of what I normally like but this one was special, probably because it was a relationship story that used a nearly believable SF conceit (parallel worlds) to create an absorbing dilemma. No aliens or spaceships, just an ordinary life that turns increasingly odd: a friend whose missing limb suddenly returns, a newspaper headline that says, "Kennedy elected to second term", and so on. It was intriguing for at least two reasons. One was Joan Collins, who is, well, stunning. Why anyone would cheat on her character is perhaps the film's greatest mystery. The other was that the parallel worlds idea takes a while to develop fully, and it drew me into the puzzle. I've not seen a parallel realities film since that I've liked as much. (By the way, I could swear there's a scene in "Back to the Future 2" where Doc is using a blackboard to explain this very concept to Marty, which is a lift from QFL.) In the end it's a film about a decent guy and his relationship problems; only, in his case, he's inherited them from his drunken, loutish other self.

I caught this on a local movie channel thinking it would be pretty hokey, but I found myself completely captivated to this fascinating science fiction romance. Joan Collins gives an unexpectedly delicate performance devoid of her usually campy mannerisms, and competent actors like Denholm Elliott appear in supporting roles. Although the ending does seem a bit abrupt, it's not bad enough to leave a negative impression.