CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 11/04/05

The Dysfunction of Art…Garfunkel

by scott castle

Bad Timing (The Criterion Collection)

Nicholas Roeg (also directed)

Alex Linden (Art Garfunkel) and Milena Flaherty (Theresa Russell) couldn't be worse for one another, so they fall in love. Bad Timing, which takes its title to heart by offering up a fractured timeline of the two lovers' lives, chronicles their relationship as the flighty Milena and controlling Alex make each other miserable in an effort to feel alive. Centering as it does on the irrational nature of love, writer-director Nicholas Roeg's screenplay plays two polar opposites against one another and revels in the fallout of confining two incompatible pieces in intractable relationship. Opening with Milena's suicide and meandering through time to portray the worst and best moments of the relationship, the film presents an accurate portrait of emotional instability and heightens the tension by leaping from one angst-filled instant to another, relieving the pressure only when the two principal characters are alone in the scene. An interview with Roeg charts the development of the story, while deleted scenes and a 28-page booklet offer insights into the film's development and meaning.

Bad Timing (The Criterion Collection)
The Criterion Collection
Rated R; 122 min.
$29.95

Buy it now for only $26.96 (save 10%)

Scott Castle is one thesis shy of a master's degree in film. He's written two short films, four television scripts, and a handful of short stories. He lives in Los Angeles.

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