"Bad Timing", Nicolas Roeg (1980) - Capsule Review

A masterpiece. An obsession story for adults, impossible to film in today´s culture, about a Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl called Milena and her psychiatrist lover. In a sense is the granddaddy of series like "13 Reasons Why" with tour-de-force editing and tonally emotive psychological flashbacks in place of cassette recordings. Outstanding performance by Theresa Russell, with her body in constant voyeuristic display to make the point even stronger. Exotic locations and Cold War paranoia add fire to the proceedings. Late 1970s style permeates the film in such a way that it becomes a quintessential example of the period. At its premiere, it could be seen as a critique of expected bourgeois relationships, but giving that Milena´s "lifestyle" has become mainstream in the second decade of the 21st Century, the film remains relevant albeit for different reasons. Plot resolution is shocking and will enrage viewers, both past and contemporary. A must watch.

TSPDT Number:  987 (2018 list)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080408/