Bad Timing July 19, 2006
Posted by clydefro in : Classic Films, 1980s , trackback
I try to not write about films that I’ve only seen once and feel like I don’t fully understand their significance. Having said that, I recently watched Nicolas Roeg’s Bad Timing
Garfunkel plays Dr. Alex Linden, a psychoanalyst working as a professor at a Viennese university. Through a dynamic series of edits, Roeg shows the audience how Linden meets and becomes involved with Milena Flaherty, played by Theresa Russell in a brave performance. The film opens with Milena being taken to a hospital via ambulance following a drug overdose. At the hospital, Linden is first questioned by Inspector Netusil (Harvey Keitel foregoing an Austrian accent) who then interrogates him at various points throughout the film on his involvement in Milena’s overdose. Denholm Elliott is along for the ride as well, playing Milena’s Czech husband.
The most striking thing about Bad Timing is its editing. As in other Roeg films, the director alternates between the present and the past and the audience must make sense of the puzzle-like composition. In this particular film, though, the fragmented nature is never severe enough to confuse the attentive viewer to the point of no return. We understand what is happening even though we’re not sure exactly where everything fits just yet. One particularly memorable sequence is when surgeons make an incision in Milena’s neck immediately after we’ve seen Alex and her in one of the film’s many erotically charged scenes.
One can look at Garfunkel’s performance as either appropriately detached given the oddly obsessive nature of the character or as blandly uncharismatic resulting from his lack of acting ability. I’m still undecided, but leaning towards the latter. Watching the film, I had trouble figuring out what Milena was ever attracted to in Linden and Garfunkel’s lack of emotion was a key factor in this. I suppose the effects of timing and coincidence hover over the film enough that the two lovers being such opposites may be an essential element, but the idea that Milena would be drawn to Alex was a distraction for me nevertheless. On the other hand, Garfunkel’s mostly lethargic acting does infuse the climactic scene between his character and the nearly comatose Milena with an additional shock value. The other performances fare better and Russell is particularly quite good, if almost too enthusiastic especially when compared to Garfunkel. If you can get past Keitel being somewhat miscast as a Viennese inspector, his performance is fine as well.
Despite its flaws, however, Bad Timing manages to stick with you and roll around inside your head for a good while. When films are capable of making you think without being overly manipulative, something worthwhile must be present and Roeg was a master of this in his prime. His films are ideal for multiple viewings, when the audience can pay less attention to the plot and instead focus on other interesting aspects such as taking a closer look at the characters. The viewer can peel back the first, superficial layer and look deeper inside the film. One example of this in Bad Timing might be Roeg’s use of paintings by the artist Gustav Klimt. I also found The Who’s “Who Are You” to be an interestingly appropriate choice and somewhat jarring given its unique inclusion. It’s rare to see a film use a single rock song since we usually hear multiple instances of rock music if any at all. The song’s use is timed perfectly as we see Alex watching Milena from afar. The notion of spying or watching that he had lectured on at the university is perhaps revisited through Alex’s actions here.
Overall, Bad Timing is certainly worthwhile viewing but seeing it once may not be enough to fully grasp everything that’s going on. It’s obvious Roeg has a reason behind his choices and has much more talent than fancy camera tricks . What’s less obvious is exactly what his motivations are at times and whether the audience is meant to comprehend them. Regardless, Bad Timing works best not as a thriller or mystery, but as an exploration of the two main characters’ obsessive natures. When viewed as a psychological journey, the film is much more interesting and compelling, which I assume was what the filmmakers intended anyway. Additionally, the Criterion Collection DVD supplements are helpful for digging deeper into the film. The interview with Theresa Russell, in particular, is very informative. I imagine most anyone interested in Roeg’s films would certainly find much to keep them occupied in Bad Timing and the DVD is a great resource for watching, rewatching and learning more about the film.
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