Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980)
"Bad Timing" (original title)

The setting is Vienna. A young American woman is brought to a hospital after overdosing on pills, apparently in a suicide attempt. A police detective suspects foul play on the part of her ... See full summary »

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writer:

Yale Udoff (screenplay)

Stars:

Art Garfunkel, Theresa Russell, Harvey Keitel

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Art Garfunkel	...	Alex Linden
Theresa Russell	...	Milena Flaherty
Harvey Keitel	...	Inspector Netusil
Denholm Elliott	...	Stefan Vognic
Daniel Massey	...	Foppish Man
Dana Gillespie	...	Amy Miller
William Hootkins	...	Col. Taylor
Eugene Lipinski	...	Hospital Policeman
George Roubicek	...	Policeman #1
Stefan Gryff	...	Policeman #2
Sevilla Delofski	...	Czech Receptionist
Robert Walker	...	Konrad
Gertan Klauber	...	Ambulance Man
Ania Marson	...	Dr. Schneider
Lex van Delden	...	Young Doctor

Storyline

The setting is Vienna. A young American woman is brought to a hospital after overdosing on pills, apparently in a suicide attempt. A police detective suspects foul play on the part of her lover, an American psychology professor. As doctors try to save her life, the detective interrogates the professor, and through flashbacks we see the events leading up to the woman's overdose; her stormy and intensely sexual relationship with the professor, her heavy drinking and numerous affairs, and her estrangement from her Czech husband. A darkly erotic study of several rather unsympathetic characters.

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Plot Keywords:

professor | detective | pills | overdose | doctor | 

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Taglines:

His terrifying obsession took them to the brink of death and beyond. [Video Australia]

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German Czech French

Release Date:

October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Rank Organisation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sissy Spacek was the original choice for the role of Milena.

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Quotes

Milena Flaherty: If we're gonna meet, it might as well be now.

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Connections

Referenced in Game On: Bad Timing (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Dreaming My Dreams"
Written by Allen Reynolds
Sung by Billy Kinsley

User Reviews

intense work from forgotten master

Bad Timing is not an easy film, but one that rewards effort. Art Garfunkel joins the line (Jagger, Bowie) of singers who produced career best acting performances for this director - the scene of him smoking while staring over a bridge into the abyss of his life is worth buying the dvd alone - and Theresa Russell is simply incendiary. The story is a relatively simple one of how two people who should never have got together become obsessed with each other, but is told in Nicolas Roeg's fluid, labyrinthine style with flashes back and forward and disconcerting edits. The sexual content is extreme for some tastes, but raw and painfully honest in a way which defies simple titillation. Intense work from one of the giants of British and world cinema, now sadly neglected, and one of a string of great films, Performance, Walkabout, Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth which mark Nicolas Roeg out as a great director.