MovieChat Forums > A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (2008) Discussion > Pathetic, and deeply frustrating...

Pathetic, and deeply frustrating...

posted 14 years ago by thespread
8 replies | jump to latest

Not just his sexual history, but the film itself; half arsed, lacking direction, no structure, a mess. In a funny old way, its wretchedness might actually be the reason behind the directors problem... it's like he just doesn't give a *beep*. It's so incredibly sloppy. The most interesting parts of the film can be attributed to his mother, who actually does a spot of research in order to set up an interview rather than randomly showing up outside of someones house with a boom mix and expecting something interesting worth documenting to just happen. As it stands, it's simply a hideous vanity project.
There is just about enough content here to have made for a briefly entertaining 10 minute late night channel four fluff piece, but instead we've got an overlong movie padded out with simply moronic visits to an S&M dungeon, a viagra fuelled rampage where he hassles lots of women and innane bits of acoustic music to give the film a sense of hipster sincerity.
It's staggering he got the funding for such a self serving piece of *beep* which doesn't so much see him attempt to get to the bottom of why he's such a *beep* individual but rather try to meet as many women as possible... the films "happy ending" was all the more frustrating since I wanted the stupid git to end up alone, since he'd done so little in actually attempting to better himself, rather blaming his inadequacies on things beyond his control (like sexual dysfunction) rather than his very obvious problems (scabby, weedy, selfish etc.)
Arggggh. Maybe this film was an ingenious, entirely fictional creation to provoke exactly this kind of response, but even if it was it was still a deeply unsatisfying, annoying experience.

I have to get more pudding for this trip to Hawaii.

[–] Radio_Spiricom 14 years ago

Well, I liked it.

You seem bitter about him finding a girlfriend. What's the point? She likes him and he likes her. So you don't find him attractive yourself, what has that got to do with anything? Fact is, she knows him better than you do and subjectively speaking would be unhappy to lose him, so she doesn't really need anyone judging his worth for her. IMO they're a good match, seeing as she seems vaguely weird enough to deal with his personality. Part of his problem was going for women who want a normal, sensible lifestyle after the initial giddy period. Anyway, wanting to see someone suffer is more a reflection on your own issues than his. A reasonable person would be glad (or hope) that he grew up a bit and sorted himself out. He seems to be treating his girlfriend well and I'm happy for him.

It's a comedy, playing up to his tendency to be a clown. He's probably not at all like that in real life, at least now.

[–] Fleetfut 14 years ago

I found it hilarious. I don't think the OP got the film.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] thespread 14 years ago

I guess I can get with the two freaks finding love together and all that. But the point was he didn't appear to grow up and sort himself out, at all. At least, not in the 90 minutes of evidence we are presented with in the film. He begins as a stupid, selfish prick and he ends up much the same way. It would be lovely to think "He's probably not at all like that in real life, at least now" but the fact is that there is absolutely nothing pointing towards him being anything other than a wretched clown. My only frame of reference was the film, and if you take that as a vaild reflection of his life then there's not a great deal going for him.
I had the idea that the point of the movie was for him to take a close look at himself, learn from his errors, make adjustments to go on and come out of it a better person than when he started, the prize for all this being something like a steady relationship. If he were someone in a fictional film, we might call it a character arc. But this guy doesn't have one. He's static throughout. So when you see him rewarded with the cute, zany girlfriend, it feels sort of unfair, since he's done more or less nothing to earn it.
It'd be interesting to know if their relationship lasted. But judging by his lack of adjustment and his previous "History of Sexual Failures" it seems speculative and naive to assume that it was all going to work out nicely since he was still the same dickhead as he was from frame one. In fact, it seemed like a cheap, tacky way to make the audience assume everything was going to be ok. If I was to speculate, as you did with your closing sentence, I don't see that relationship lasting too long at all, but if he hadn't ended on that note of optimism it would have undercut the point he seemed to be trying to make; that it's not you that has to adjust, but the world. Which, I think, is *beep*

I have to get more pudding for this trip to Hawaii.

[–] GG_exe 13 years ago

I found the film mostly very depressing, with only a few actual funny moments in it. What was depressing was him - a person without gnosis, and any understanding of life, women, anything. His apartment was a disgrace. That his mom had to even literally educate him about how and why to maintain a clean abode. His dress sense and physical appearance, a projection of his apartment, which he never once made an effort to improve thruout the film. How that date he first got set up with, how he just expected sex that night, and everything his female friend relayed back to him was so spot on, yet he sat there on the phone completely shocked or unaware, even after someone having to tell him, unable to use his own brains to figure it out. Which pretty much sums up his whole life it seems -- someone unable to use his own brains to figure anything out. A 30something year old man with a 12 year old brain, bumbling about mentally challenged.

There were a few interesting things in the film. How such a man could continue to find girlfriends right thruout. How he managed to even get a girl to say "yes" to sleeping with him -- a guy who looked, talked, and bumbled about on the streets like a bum, a sociopath, etc. Amazing. And she was a stunning looking girl with a very cool personality too. 300 "will you sleep with me" to get 1 to say yes. Those odds would surely improve to something like even 3:1 if he was well-dressed and articulate. Interesting that he did realize he truly loved Vicky and she still loved him. How sad that 'soul mates' didn't end up together forever, all due to him being an idiot, never realizing, growing up. Blew it. Very sad to see them both restraining tears that amounted to that realization. Nice that they ended up 'friends' apparently, her eyes were alight with happiness in the scenes at the end.

And the sex addict ex-girlfriend...women like that, beautiful AND insatiable, which includes them following every random act, I just always find that a very interesting thing.

All up, it was just very sad and depressing looking into the fishbowl of that particular person's life and times, their deepest secrets, fears, anxieties, problems. I have disparaged the man a lot in my post, but I thank him for allowing us all a look inside him, warts and all. Brave. This could be a good film for men and boys alike to see. To touch base with their own self, correct themselves, or just to know what not to be and to become to have a more fruitful and rewarding life.

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Look into my eyes and hate me.

[–] EmpathicFrost 13 years ago

-- It'd be interesting to know if their relationship lasted. --

According to his face book page, the relationship did last, as they are married now.

[–] bruce-129 11 years ago

I doubt he found a girlfriend .... this was clearly a performance,
so i bet he found alex the russian girl desperate to do anything
and used her in the movie as a very cute girl who found him ok,
which i don't think he was.

i'll bet he is not a clown in real life too, from little bits of the
interviews taking a girl to a party and telling other women she
is your sister, and constantly being late is borderline psycho.

[–] Auntiemaim 11 years ago

Hallelujah, OP-you put into words my EXACT feelings about this painful waste o' time! An overaged Kurt Cobain impersonator rambling on in a monotone of both face and voice...and on...and on. Thank heaven for the fast-forward. And so obviously fake and scripted!