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Bad Behaviour

Play trailer Poster for Bad Behaviour R 1993 1h 40m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 33% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Gerry McAllister (Stephen Rea), a city planner growing weary of his job's endless frustrations, and his wife, Ellie (Sinead Cusack), a bookstore clerk who wants to be a writer, are Irish immigrants in middle-class North London. The couple normally muddle through with relative cheer, but when their shady contractor pal, Howard (Philip Jackson), convinces them to let his identical-twin builders (Phil Daniels) remodel their bathroom, the additional stress reveals the strain in their marriage.

Critics Reviews

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Brian D. Johnson Maclean's Magazine 02/05/2020
Although Bad Behaviour flirts with clichés, it keeps veering away from them at the last minute, offering subtle surprises right down to a delightfully ragged ending. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/08/2005
3/5
TV Guide 07/31/2003
4/5
James Berardinelli ReelViews 07/31/2003
3/4
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice 07/18/2003
Affecting portrait of an English couple whose marriage has hit some rough spots Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Simon T May 25 Time has not been kind to Bad Behaviour, an aimless and almost plotless comedy devised by its director Les Blair. In Camden an Irish yuppie couple (Stephen Rea and Sinead Cusack) are drifting apart and contemplating a return to Dublin. Into their orbit comes the oleaginous Howard Spink (Philip Jackson), who convinces them that their house needs renovating, and introduces them to twin labourers Roy and Ray Nunn (Phil Daniels). There are individually hilarious scenes, mostly involving Spink and the Nunns, but the Rea/Cusack sequences are very listless and exasperating, and Blair has indulged both them and John Altman, whose jazz score spreads like measles through far too many scenes. See more Frances H 03/18/2013 This film really does not have any plot and is simply a rather dull series of scenes from a couple's everyday life and they are not even a particularly interesting couple.I usually like British comedies and the cast in this one are very good actors with whom I'm familiar, but this film was simply not very entertaining or insightful. See more 10/09/2009 What makes the film work is the cast, especially Stephen Rea and Sinead Cusack. Witty and well written, funny and touching. One of those films that work on all levels. It does drag a bit in parts, but overall it flows well. See more 02/02/2007 6.5/10. What makes the film work is the cast, especially Stephen Rea and Sinead Cusack. Witty and well written, funny and touching. One of those films that work on all levels. It does drag a bit in parts, but overall it flows well. See more Read all reviews
Bad Behaviour

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Gerry McAllister (Stephen Rea), a city planner growing weary of his job's endless frustrations, and his wife, Ellie (Sinead Cusack), a bookstore clerk who wants to be a writer, are Irish immigrants in middle-class North London. The couple normally muddle through with relative cheer, but when their shady contractor pal, Howard (Philip Jackson), convinces them to let his identical-twin builders (Phil Daniels) remodel their bathroom, the additional stress reveals the strain in their marriage.
Director
Les Blair
Producer
Sarah Curtis
Production Co
Parallax Pictures, British Screen Productions, Channel Four Films
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 3, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 10, 2017
Runtime
1h 40m
Sound Mix
Surround