Bad Timing [DVD]

'Bad Timing' is a great and criminally under-rated film from a director who at the time seems to have been at the peak of his powers. In Roeg's filmography, only 'Don't Look Now' comes close, but I would say that 'Bad Timing' is more direct, more challenging and more fascinating even than that fine film.

Other reviews and the amazon summary have probably provided the plot details - basically all that happens in the narrative is that Art Garfunkel's aloof Professor Alex Linden has a passionate, damaging affair with Theresa Russell's elusive and unpredictable Milena, and because of what happens between them, Harvey Kietel as a local Police Inspector is on Alex's trail. The film is however all about intermingling themes, obsessions and preoccupations - trust, love, hate, truth and co-incidences, and how much we really understand about the world around us. Images, performances and editing all emphasise those themes, and the effects on the viewer are unlike any other film.

I fully accept, and feel it should be emphasised, that some people will find it very hard to sit through this film. The general atmpsphere is heavy and doom laden and there are a few scenes of (even by today's standard's) shocking violence - but the unflinching approach to the material will leave other people hooked - as will one of the most beautiful opening scenes in film history, filmed in the Belvedere gallery in Vienna in the Klimt room, with Tom Waits on the soundtrack. The very last image is also (to this viewer) completely baffling - anyone with any ideas please comment on my review to share them!

The UK DVD release of this film is perfectly watchable but for more extras and a sharper picture the Region 1 Criterion is your best bet. I can't promise, if you are new to this film, that you will enjoy it but it would be hard not to appreciate its brilliance.

A quarter of a century since its troubled first release, 'Bad Timing' stands out as one of Nicolas Roeg's most satisfying and complex films and yet it can be one of his hardest to discuss. Even on a second viewing it's still rather overwhelming. It's interesting how it manages to be so genuinely multi-layered, more like a novel than a film - the way it mixes voyeurism, spying and emotional, psychological and legal investigation (with Keitel's investigation of the suicide scene placing him firmly in scenes as an unseen voyeur through Terry Rawlings typically brilliant editing) is remarkable enough, but the film manages to do so much more besides. And the performances are incredibly brave - how many leading men can you think of who would effectively (and quite deliberately effeminately) play the woman's role during the lovers' initial meeting? Russell in particular shows an astonishing range in what should be an impossible part, making her inability to find decent roles these days even more disappointing.

True it falls apart in the last couple of reels when the performances don't quite ring true, but it's still the last great film Nic Roeg made before settling into prolific mediocrity. It's as a brilliantly edited post-mortem into a mutually destructive relationship rather than a police mystery that it really enthralls, even when it doesn't entirely work. Much more impressive than I remembered, it's not a feelgood movie - if anything it's the date movie from hell - but it is a remarkably ambitious and acomplished one.

So why is the film so little-known and perhaps even less-seen? Well, that seems to be down to some bad luck and bad timing of its own.

In the US it hit censorship problems and in Europe it had major problems with its distribution. It was one of Rank's last full slate of British productions, so should have been guaranteed a circuit release on the Odeon chain in the UK. Unfortunately, the head of Rank Theatres was so disgusted by the film (the Rank Organisation was originally started to make religious films and many of the old guard were still in place in 1980) that he refused to book it into a single one of their theatres - the only Rank film to be so 'honored' (although he wasn't much enamoured of Eagle's Wing either). The second biggest circuit was owned by Rank's biggest rival, EMI, who weren't interested in helping out their balance sheet, so it ended up on Lew Grade's very small Classic chain. Rank's distribution in Europe was no more enthusiastic.

(Of course, Roeg's next film and most expensive, Eureka, had even bigger problems, being pulled a couple of weeks after opening due to a libel lawsuit that kept it on the shelf for years. Since then, despite the not really successful brave try with Cold Heaven, he seems to be little more than a director for hire on a slew of disappointing pictures and cable movies.)

As a result, it's long been hard to track down, but worth the effort if you're looking for challenging fare. Although not as comprehensive as Criterion's US DVD, Network's new release does offer an upgrade in extras (deleted scenes, two trailers, stills gallery, booklet and press book PDF) over the previous Carlton release, which offered only a trailer and had some edge enhancement problems.

A better bet is Criterion's Region 1 NTSC DVD, which boasts a much better transfer than the UK DVD and a more comprehensive extras package - interviews with Russell, Roeg and producer Jeremy Thomas, stills gallery and 16 deleted scenes. However, the laziness that has crept into some recent Criterion discs is evident in the latter: while 8 of those deleted scenes have no soundtrack, surely it wouldn't have been asking too much of Criterion to have included subtitles for the missing dialogue or at least to have included an introductory caption explaining the scenes? It's an irritating blemish on an otherwise excellent disc.

I remember catching the last hour of this film late one night, and was so disappointed I'd missed the beginning I bought it the next day. This film is completely and utterly enthralling.

Stylistically shot, using flashback techniques (commonplace in many Roeg's films), superbly acted by Art Garfunkel as Alex Linden, and Theresa Russell as Melena Flaherty, this film is a must for anyone who can appreciate a film with an intelligent and highly emotional plot.

Not for those who enjoy light hearted, easy-going films, this film at times can be extremely difficult and disturbing to watch. Like Roeg's previous work 'Don't look now', Bad timing will always remain categorised as an all time great film, that excells in it's complex plot and stellar acting, rather than many films nowadays which require little or no thought, no imagination and require only the skills of the special effects department.

To me, Bad Timing is Nicolas Roeg's gem so to speak, and I highly recommend this film to anyone who truly appreciates the works of fantastic directors.