Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (2008)

Director: Chris Waitt

3

Time Out rating

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

You’ll be throwing your arms up in dismay at Chris Waitt, the director and subject of this doc about why this scruffball’s love life is a total disaster. Draw your own conclusions. As a multiple-choice exercise, it could read: 1) he’s self-obsessed with an inability to see the world through the eyes of others; 2) he has an unhealthy relationship with his mother; 3) he’s emotionally neutered; 4) all of the above.

Unfortunately, answers 1 and 3 limit the empathy and vision needed to be anything more than an adequate filmmaker; nevertheless, Waitt’s diary-like, rough-and-ready film trots along merrily enough as a one-gag pony, even though you’d be crazy to believe the spontaneity and naivety on which it claims to ride. It begins as an amusing idea: let’s visit all the girlfriends who’ve dumped me over the years. Let’s trawl through old love letters with long-suffering mum Hilary. And let’s kick off a series of new dates via MySpace.

That’s where the goodwill runs out. In apparent desperation at a lack of material, Waitt latches on to newly diagnosed erectile dysfunction for company, but even that becomes a joke when he necks five Viagras. There’s something truly tragic about his encounter with Vicky, an ex who’s now pregnant but for whom Waitt claims still to harbour affection. And whatever Waitt’s ‘individual’ qualities, his film sparks a few thoughts about the transience of love and its sheer oddness when sometimes viewed in retrospect.

Author: Dave Calhoun 2008-06-24 12:13:18

Time Out London Issue 1975: June 26 - July 2, 2008


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

Cast & crew

Director: Chris Waitt

Genre(s): Documentaries

Rated: 18

Duration: 93 mins

UK Release: Jun 27 2008




Top Stories

Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones

Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation

On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'

On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'

Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.

London Children's Film Festival

London Children's Film Festival

Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations