Rpdsf This movie is simply about the sanctity of marriage although the script and direction make it hard to follow, especially with the excessive religious overtones, flashbacks and side stories. A cheating wife married to a doctor has an affair with another doctor. After about a year into their affair, they decide to leave their spouses for each other. Before the wife can tell her husband she's leaving him, he has an accident and dies. The wife shows no emotion over the event although confused about what she wants to do next. The husband's body disappears and it becomes increasingly evident that he's alive. The wife is suspicious, confused, worried....almost going through the whole spectrum of emotions throughout the movie. Realizing her husband is in fact alive or somehow miraculously risen from the dead, she is confronted by him. She continues her affair while seemingly looking for answers as does her husband who has several serious physical reactions to his wife's thoughts, words and interaction with her lover. Finally after completing a promise she made during an overly religious vision she had at the start of her affair with the doctor, her husband is miraculously healed and she realizes that she truly loves her husband and no longer wants to leave him. I rated this low simply because the script and director made it so difficult to follow the story and see it for what it was.

caj225 All the other reviews panning this flick are fair warning. It is so preposterous you won't believe you are wasting your time until the last 7 minutes. When the Mrs. walks down the hill with the young priest, the whole movie evaporates into a finalé not unlike a B-flat minor version of the Sound of Music. The wrap up is pap. Imagine watching Jaws but at the end, Jesus floats down and lifts everybody out of the boat and whisks them to safety, with the little town becoming the next Shrine to the Ascension. The end was so totally out of character with the story that has been told to that point. And it was as embarrassing to watch as Tammy Faye Baker.

lost-in-limbo Marie Davenport is an unfaithful wife who plans to tell her surgeon husband Alex that she is going to leave him for her lover Dr. Daniel Corvin. However strangely enough, her husband is conveniently killed in a boating accident. Then his body disappears from the morgue, and this is when plenty of unusual occurrences start to interrupt Marie's life.Every time I watch a Nicolas Roeg, I always find it hard to put it into words. "Cold Heaven" falls somewhere in the latter end of his work, but still it manages to hold your attention because of its unusually haunting and broad ambiance. The unique handling of the metaphoric premise (lifted off Brian Moore's novel) seems to shift back and forth amongst many different moody fields (thriller, supernatural) to eventually play out like a spiritual journey of religious faith, guilt, fate, and redemption. Everything about it works off one's emotions and seldom thoughts, which go on to feel like a ponderously obsessive dream full of miracles. What starts off like torment due to infidelity can suddenly turn into relief, and it shows love doesn't have any boundaries. What seems like an enigmatic and fractured structure to begin with eventually is answered. But I was less impressed and satisfied with the revelation, and the final 10 minutes or so.Roeg's sensual visual style and steady pace has a sterile, but brooding air that seductively pulls you in. His filming techniques like crosscutting editing of the surreal flashbacks and visions can get jaded, but only adds the blurry nature of what to believe. Even the monologues of Russell's character's inner thoughts are well done and at times can really alienate. Dim composition, shading and lighting is pulled of admirably well in displaying a darkly stark atmosphere. The set pieces provide symbolic traits and within the beautiful images are also eerie currents. The exquisite and ever-changing backdrop that's on show is handsomely framed by Francis Kenny's glossy photography. Stanley Myers' bold music score is a oddly lingering mixture of spicy and light n' breezy cues. The performances are strikingly inspired. Theresa Russell is amazing in a very demanding multi-facet role. Mark Harmon and James are equally fine with complex portrayals. There's also highly capable support in the likes of Will Patton, Julie Carmen, Talia Shire and Seymour Cassel.Not one of his greatest, but an interestingly flawed piece nonetheless.

TheShadow22 Just saw this movie on TV and I have to admit, I was a bit surprised it was even on. There were so many goofs, mess-ups, and bad editing that an old episode of Sesame Street would have been better to watch. The acting was OK, but please, you can really feel the "Straight to Video" feeling. The cast/crew made this movie a bad melodrama. Yes, there is a message in the movie, but just wait until ten minutes before the ending to hear it. Trust me, you wouldn't even tell the difference.