Chris Waitt's documentary starts as research into why every woman he has ever dated has dropped him and then segues into an examination of his failure to sexually satisfy these women and himself. In doing this he engages in activities that are foolhardy and dangerous on any number of levels.
One wonders why he needed to engage in this research. He is scruffy throughout the documentary. Waitt's hair is unkempt, he has days of unshaven growth on his face and he seems to wear the same torn jeans most of the time. Waitt's personal hygiene also is doubtful given that he seems to wear the same underpants throughout and on the additional evidence of the state of his bathroom which his mother(!) comes over to clean for him. But none of these is a reason why women dropped him; they have other aversions to him.
There were some funny moments in this film but overall I was annoyed by it. The sound quality was poor and I was bit irritated that someone could secure commercial release of such a self indulgent work in a respected Art House chain like the Dendy Cinemas. Even more than that though, I felt Waitt's film was calculated and manipulating.
Waitt presents as a clueless and gormless man but I never quite believed that his documentary was on the level. He comes from a comfortable middle class background and from the evidence of the documentary he has completed a reasonable degree of education. I'm sure he is more intelligent then he makes out in the film and I suspect that some of the 'documentary' moments were staged.
Having said that three of the six people in the audience at the session I attended laughed happily throughout and clearly enjoyed what they were viewing.
This was screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival last year. I didn't manage to see it, but friends who did had the same comment as you - his 'dumbness' came across as fake.
ReplyDeleteI truly hate being manipulated by films. That's one reason why I'm not a fan of mysteries, or whodunits. I actually enjoy films more after I've seen them a time or two because I can enjoy understanding the characters' motivations and the little ironies about their fates that you miss or completely forget about by the end of the movie.
ReplyDeleteI have also been known to read the end of a book before starting it.
On another note, I forgot to answer your question: We're at 47.3ยบ north. Farther north than you are south, it appears.
Not particularly attractive by the cover. I would not bother.
ReplyDelete@wcs reading the end of a book before starting it? Lol!
ReplyDeleteEvol - apparently it was a hit at Sydney's festival.
ReplyDeletewcs - I like mysteries and whodunnits and would never dream of reading the end of a book first.
Andrew - in fact he was a looker when younger to judge by earlier photographs displayed during the film.