Zwischenleben

This true story is an excellent movie that took a lot of guts by Shirley Maclaine to admit to, for her career and possible sanity were questionable after its release. I have been a physic for 40 years and can testify that in my experience the content is accurate. I know there are two types of entity with whom I can communicate. In this movie it only explores the possibility of Alien interaction with our lives and the benefits that can have. The early part of the story concentrates more on her relationship with a British Government official and the love affair that results. This is a good, rather bland "ordinary life" contrast to the almost surreal action that follows.

Dear Charles,

I sure hope you were well-paid for this toe-curlingly awful vanity project. Not yours, of course. No man could possibly be vain and appear in dreck like this.

Your performance was perfect, of course. You convincingly embodied the romantic intellectual. You made it very easy to believe in Gerry's fascination with Shirley.

I've got to give you lots of respect: clearly, as an artist you're willing to take on risk. You've done (what must be unpleasant) work in order to fulfill your responsibilities as a husband and father. You've consistently delivered top-quality performances in the most unworthy projects. And in addition to all that, I've never seen or heard you even once complain or disparage anyone.

But Charles, even my love isn't enough to withstand watching "Out on a Limb." Taking most excellent advice from another of your pictures,* I decided to leave off watching after fifteen minutes. It is better to preserve my love for you than immolate it in service of checking off another item on your c.v.

Yours affectionately,

Oloiatao

*Dorothy: I believe in love. Not just getting it, but giving it. I think that if you're able to love someone, even if they don't know it, even if they can't love you back, then it's worth it. (Gosford Park)

Shirley MacLaine in 1987 had the skill and courage to both write and star in a supposed autobiographical miniseries delineating her spiritual journey.

Such topics as guides, reincarnation, and self discovery are plunged into with abandon by MacLaine. Having read her book upon which this script is based, I appreciate her creativity, imagination, and tenacity to bring this challenging project to fruition.

What I don't readily grasp is the volume of unique metaphysical occurrences that the heroine is alleged to have had. For one example: an extended car ride in the dead of night at top speed, down a narrow forest trail while dodging trees right and left--with none but "spirit" operating the vehicle.

While it makes for dramatic tv, it does stimulate wonder as to where actual facts leave off and creative writing begins. As for many profound questionings tackled, these touch us all and are part of the human spiritual quest.

Many viewers, however, may lack an intense interest in this subject to stick with it throughout its lengthy two-part running time. Those who do may well be rewarded with an intriguing introduction into New Age philosophy.

Shirley Maclaine had a nerve to expose your sanity in this bold book that later was taken to screen, here in Brazil the Spiritualist are around of three per cent of the entire population, whose I include myself, watching just a small part of Out on a Limb on 1987, which I'm didn't known the Spiritism properly yet, recently came out a double DVD of this movie, now watching this overlong endeavor of Shirley Maclaine, sadly she spent much time with her love affair with Gerry Stamford (Charles Dance) and doesn't going straight in the point, she will slowly walking by the edge to the center in four hours long, presented as mini-series I'd understood perfectly that it was so hard compressed the book in short time as possible, however it's a great picture, exposing her private life to mockery of the western civilization, she talked about past life, why she was involved with a married man, his guide on earth and also his journey of self-discovery on Peru, also putting an alleged Alien on the story, maybe she went too far, maybe not, in my opinion the Spiritism itself almost erased by Christian Church due they got the power over the mass, although it was plenty accepted on entire Asia and middle west by several religions, it's a complex matter to discuss widely, it needs an exhaustive studies of countless reliable authors of good books, as I did in last twenty years and l still learning!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1987 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 8

Not bad docudrama of a very pretty Shirley MacLaine describing her path of awareness.

Some strained romantic interludes - which most women will no doubt find alluring - are included in the movie, but the film is literally interesting once Shirley embarks on her 'journey' to find the meaning of life and all that. I still could never detach myself from the possibility that Shirley is just some bored rich chick who needed something to do, thus she began her little self-discovery thing. Having said that, the flick is okay, save the frustration of her character (herself) tolerating that spooky married British guy (Charlie Dance) when she had a more promising prospect in the enlightened beach bum (John Heard). Anne Jackson tags along as an over-bearing matza ball.

Check it out. There are some clips of Shirley performing on Broadway.