Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980)
RottenPop Presents: #143 of the 150 Movies of 1980
For a little while there, Art Garfunkel tried his hand at acting, and he wasn't all that horrible. His work on Catch-22, for example, was a fine role for a first-time actor, and he kind of blew it out of the water. Except in 1980 when he hooked up with filmmaker Nicolas Roeg for Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession. And yikes, this was a huge stumble and one of the worst projects either one of them have been involved in. It’s incredible, but the talents of Garfunkel and Roeg amount to one of the most purely unlikable films of all time.
Garfunkel comes off as an unlikeable asshole. There just aren’t many ways you can cut it. This whiny, brooding, psychotic incel doesn’t make for a compelling story. The character’s abusive nature and dismissal of others' emotions and feelings doesn’t make me want to watch him, or root for him. And if you're not supposed to be on his side, then what am I doing watching this?
And that sucks because the rest of the cast is not horrible. Players like Theresa Russell, Harvey Keitel, and Denholm Elliott are all decent. They technically do a passable job, and it's not really their fault that they have to coddle this rookie in Arthur Ira Garfunkel.
The plot of the film follows Alex Linden (Garfunkel), a psychiatrist living in Vienna, who meets a young woman and becomes infatuated with her. She is already in a relationship, but that doesn't stop them from diving deep into a passionate affair that lands her in the hospital following an overdose, and lands him in the sights of an Inspector.
The movie sounds like it could have potential to go places, but it just doesn't. It's cringey. It's hard to watch. Art Garfunkel is terrible. There just isn't any redeeming quality for this movie whatsoever.
First Screening: March 2nd, 1980
RottenPop Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star): “Garbage day!"
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Writers: Yale Udoff
Composer: Richard Hartley
Starring: Art Garfunkel, Theresa Russell, Harvey Keitel, and Denholm Elliott
Studios: Recorded Picture Company & The Rank Organisation
Country: U.K.
Genres: Neo-Noir Thriller
#Movies #Film #BadMovies #ArtGarfunkel #RichardHartley #YaleUdoff #NicholasRoeg #Drama #Toxic #Incel #BadMovie #Cinema #BadActing
