Film Review: A Complete History of My Sexual Failures.

Realising that the last five movies I’ve seen and reviewed were all big budget Hollywood action flicks, I decided it was time for a little bit of diversity. So in an attempt to culture myself , I picked up a leaflet for the local independent cinema, and eventually decided on seeing Chris Waitt’s documentary ‘A Complete History of My Sexual Failures‘.

The film begins with a monologue from director Chris Waitt, the focus of the documentary, describing his unfortunate dating past. He’s been dumped by every single one of his girlfriends, and the purpose of the film is to figure out why. This initial idea ends up being tossed aside (no pun intended), as Waitt ambles around the country in a pair of scruffy jeans, and finds himself in dozens of surreal situations. Everything is made that little bit more interesting with Waitt’s sense of humour, willingness to attempt new things, and his naivety.

Over the course of the film we see Waitt meet with various old girlfriends in various different situations. Some slam the door in his face, others sit down for a civilised conversation, and one of them talks through a computer while hidden behind a screen. Most of these meetings are very funny and interesting (even if a couple of the interviewees are a little too focussed on the camera in the room), while some of the interviews are just surreal, especially one interview late in the film, which takes place with the interviewee behind a screen, typing her responses into a speech reader system. These interviews give us a lot of insight into Waitt’s personality and how it has evolved over the years, and also of the huge mistakes he has made with relationships.

Part way through, Waitt becomes distracted from his ex girlfriends, and starts investigating what he now believes is the root of his problems - his erectile dysfunction. Watching Waitt attending each therapy is very funny, and there’s a brilliant underlying cynicism that nobody quite seems to grasp. The attempts to overcome his problem eventually results in Waitt overdosing on viagra, leading to a hilarious scene with Waitt running round a city centre, desperately asking strangers on the street for sex. Because of this scene and some others like it, I had to remind myself that this film was a documentary, it was that surreal.

As well as the interesting and humorous side to this film, there are also some incredibly emotional moments. There is one specific moment that I will remember for a very long time, Chris Waitt telling his ex fiancé that he might still love her. It’s a genuinely emotional scene, and beautifully filmed to really capture the feelings of Waitt and his ex.

‘A Complete History of My Sexual Failures’ is an excellent film. Insightful, funny and incredibly surreal, it’s one of the best film I’ve seen in a long time. I wasn’t expecting to be quite as entertained as I was, but I was pleasantly surprised. I can’t see this film having mass appeal, and if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like the sight of a grown mans cock being whipped in a sex dungeon, then I’m warning you now. But it is a superb documentary, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone.

5/5