SYNOPSIS Parting amicably from her Czech army pilot husband (Denholm Elliott), troubled Milena (Theresa Russell) starts an on-off affair in post-Cold War Vienna with American psychoanalyst-in-residence, Dr Alex Linden (Art Garkunkel). At first, Alex accepts Milena seeing other men, but gradually he becomes tormented by jealousy, while Milena resents that his interest in her is purely sexual. When Milena has an apparent drug overdose, a police inspector (Harvey Keitel) questions Dr Linden in a bid to start piecing together the sordid details of their all-consuming passion.
THE LOWDOWN Nicolas Roeg's beautifully-executed, yet deeply disturbing 1980 film is a strange brew indeed - an arty, unflinching depiction of a destructive relationship in which both Art Garfunkel and Theresa Russell bring incredibly intensity to their roles as the bird-like Dr Alex Linden (who masks a fearsome control freak under his massive ginger afro) and the volatile Milena (who just wants to be loved, but ultimately is never satisfied). Highly controversial on its release, Bad Timing remains one of Roeg’s most divisive films in his career.
THE UK BLU-RAY RELEASE Released on Blu-ray as part of Network Distributing’s The British Film collection, Bad Timing http://youtube.com/v/3BOqQGMdIVE
