An Unfortunate Fling or Crazy Sex: A Review

In Radu Jude’s “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn,” a teacher at an elite Bucharest school, Emi, finds herself in a predicament when her husband leaks their intimate video online. Despite her efforts, the video spreads uncontrollably, leading the school’s headmistress to convene a parent-teacher conference to decide Emi’s fate.

A Bold Opening

The film opens with the explicit home video, featuring what appears to be genuine, unsimulated sex. This scene serves as a litmus test for the audience, challenging their prejudices and openness to discussing personal boundaries, societal hypocrisy, and social stigma.

Scene from “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn”

Topical and Hilarious

“Bad Luck Banging” can be dissected into various topics, from historical memory to sexism. Like Jude’s previous works, it’s socially conscious, addressing issues directly. While some might find it preachy, the film’s humor is undeniable.

Jude refines his unique cinematic language, blending social commentary with humor. The film is divided into three parts.

Part 1: Bucharest’s Absurdity

In the first part, Emi navigates Bucharest while dealing with the fallout from the leaked video. Jude captures the city’s chaotic atmosphere, filled with arguments and reckless behavior, expanding the story from a personal drama to a comedic panorama of modern Romania.

Part 2: An Alphabet of Modern Life

The second part abandons the main plot, presenting an alphabet of modern life through cleverly edited videos. Jude juxtaposes historical anecdotes with disturbing statistics, creating a portrait of global society through short, impactful clips, mirroring the fast-paced nature of contemporary media.

Scene from “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn”

Part 3: Confronting Hypocrisy

The third part returns to Emi at the parent-teacher conference, where she faces the judgment of hypocritical individuals. The discussion broadens to encompass Romania’s unrepentant fascist past, “homosexual propaganda,” and other societal constraints. Jude uses humor to expose the absurdity of these beliefs, forcing Emi to confront social idiocy.

A Choice of Endings

Ultimately, Jude offers the viewer a choice of endings, ranging from “normal” to utterly insane, suggesting that the madness of society can only be met with even greater absurdity.