Imagine a cross between the sexual escapades of “The Real World” and the hilarious circumstances of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and you have the makings of “The West Wittering Affair.” Written and directed by the Scheinmann Brothers, the movie follows the lives of four middle-aged Londoners over the course of three years.
The chaos begins when Cathy, Natasha and Jamie decide to go away for the weekend to West Wittering. Cathy is interested in Jamie, Natasha is upset over her boyfriend Greg, and Jamie is just there for kicks. After a night of drinking and conversation, Jamie sleeps with Natasha. An unknowing Cathy also ends up sleeping with him that same night. Once the two find out about Jamie’s wrongdoings, they choose to get their revenge by utterly humiliating him. A few weeks after the affair, Jamie seeks counseling from a psychiatrist to deal with this bump in the road. However, what Jamie doesn’t know is that his shrink is Greg, Natasha’s boyfriend. Jump ahead two years and the chaos still ensues. Pregnancies and more affairs continue to plague the four until the very end of the movie.
This “who’s-with-whom” film will have you laughing until you cry. Confusion and mishap seem to run the show. The storyline overpowers the cast, all of whom seem to be related in real life in one way or another. The filmmaking style also dominates the movie with its documentary-like quality. It cuts back and forth between different points in time, including before and after the affair, placing a different spin on the actual event in question. Certain scenes, like the shots of Greg attending group counseling to deal with Natasha’s affair, however, seem rather pointless and a bit forced.
Overall, the film offers laughs and a decent story about relationships. It encompasses all the elements of a British comedy, including those witty accents and numerous droppings of the f-bomb. And like any good British comedy, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.