Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession

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Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession

R

1980

2h 3m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

46%

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13 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Alex Linden (Art Garfunkel) is a psychiatrist living in Vienna who meets Milena Flaherty (Theresa Russell) through a mutual friend. Though Alex is quite a bit older than Milena, he's attracted to her young, carefree spirit. Despite the fact that Milena is already married, their friendship quickly turns into a deeply passionate love affair that threatens to overtake them both. When Milena ends up in the hospital from an overdose, Alex is taken into custody by Inspector Netusil (Harvey Keitel).

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

Aug 16, 2022

Not everything works.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Nov 26, 2018

...perched right on the edge of tastelessness and yet finally more emotionally powerful than exploitative.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Nov 12, 2018

1.5/4

This film has been praised for its honesty, but it would have taken far more honesty (not to mention courage) to deal with the personality disorders of these characters instead of simply burying them in blood, sex, and noise.

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Rob Schmieder

Gay Community News (Boston)

Sep 15, 2022

Self-indulgent twaddle.

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Jan 19, 2022

A

[PODCAST] Nicolas Roeg is at his most inventive in this complex erotic psychological drama. Twisted, in a good way.

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Daniel Barnes

Dare Daniel

Oct 4, 2019

4/5

Bad Timing gets assembled from the memories and assumptions of multiple unreliable sources. The flamboyantly cinematic camera moves and angles, shock-cut edits and Scorsese-style soundtrack all contribute to a sense of dislocation.

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H.B. K

@RT33814355 Jul 3, 2026

Antonioni on Xanax. Sick and disgusting. Artie farty. My favorite part is Garfunkel cutting off Theresa Russell’s nightclothes with a pen knife so we can get some gratuitous nudity (nice nips), then he shtupps her comatose nude body saying I love you. Poor Garfunkel. I assume this ended his film career.

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Richard B

@RichardB12314 Feb 5, 2026

Well filmed movie about a psychoanalyst that seems unaware of the borderline personality disorder of his love interest. Maybe he should have brushed up and had coffee with that professor who wanted to "discuss some new papers." That's the weakest part, which are the unprofessional "professionals," like the Inspector. In a way, the title doesn't work either. The original title Illusions should have remained, if it wasn't for threats of a lawsuit from a book publisher that forced the change. High marks for style and craft, and low marks for the script.

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Alain E

@AlainE Dec 2, 2024

It’s not going anywhere. I finally gave up after 77 minutes. Two people who cannot be together and cannot be apart, in different localities. This could go on for another six hours.

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S R

@ScottR Oct 22, 2024

What a shame. What a shame. This could have been so much more than it was, but instead it focused on the perverse ideas of whoever came up with this plot. It's too bad since it being filmed in one of my favorite cities, Vienna, left me sad that they misrepresented life there. It should have been like Before Sunrise that managed to focus on the relationship, rather than sex. Saw it because it was on my Time Out BBF list, I also wanted to see Art G act; now I know why he didn't take off (that hair and forehead). It was on Tubi.

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Shioka O

@RT54204327 Apr 28, 2023

Personally I liked the vibe, but the narrative is scattered, maybe intentionally though, it resulted in a bit dull to watch. The singer's performance is somewhat unconvincing.

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Bernard K

@RT26636704 Jul 14, 2021

Very bad movie. Sick people, poorly acted, insane story.

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Nicolas Roeg

Director

Art Garfunkel

Alex Linden

Theresa Russell

Milena Flaherty

Harvey Keitel

Inspector Netusil

Denholm Elliott

Stefan Vognic

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Synopsis

Alex Linden (Art Garfunkel) is a psychiatrist living in Vienna who meets Milena Flaherty (Theresa Russell) through a mutual friend. Though Alex is quite a bit older than Milena, he's attracted to her young, carefree spirit. Despite the fact that Milena is already married, their friendship quickly turns into a deeply passionate love affair that threatens to overtake them both. When Milena ends up in the hospital from an overdose, Alex is taken into custody by Inspector Netusil (Harvey Keitel).

Director: Nicolas Roeg
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Screenwriter: Yale Udoff
Distributor: World Northal
Production Co: Recorded Picture Company (RPC), The Rank Organisation
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1), 35mm

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