Review by jromanbaker

Nicolas Roeg, the director of this film made several very fine films and ' Bad Timing ' is a masterpiece. Given the chance to direct it for television he does not quite succeed with Tennessee Williams fine play ' Sweet Bird of Youth. ' A previous film was made with Geraldine Page and Paul Newman. Page was excellent and Newman less so and the ending was deeply compromised. To Roeg's credit he gives a brilliant ending and the surgical instruments and the scream behind the door does the filmed play justice. Mark Harmon is arguably better in the role of the expensive gigolo ( that's what they were called back then!! ) than Paul Newman; more handsomely jaded and convincing. And in my opinion I could see his conflict between selling his body and the passionate romance within him for a lost love. Rip Torn is also excellent as the corrupt politician whose daughter is ' soiled ' by her previous contact with Harmon's Chance Wayne. As for Elizabeth Taylor as Alexandra del Lago, who is on the run from screen stardom she does it her way, less over the top than Page but for me utterly successful in her interpretation. Sadly with all this acting talent Nicolas Roeg allows various drafts of the play instead of the final version, and lessens the outstanding dialogue considerably. As I said only the ending really hits the spot, and in my opinion his use of overlaid music is terrible and the camera does nothing particularly interesting. I have no idea why he wanted to direct William's drama. I do not think he was in tune with it, but the actors were and they deserved better. Once again Elizabeth Taylor proved what a great actor she was when given the opportunity to shine, even in the hands of a director who half way fails in the project.