Dir. David Scheinmann, UK, 2005, 87 mins
Cast: David Annen, Rebecca Cardinale, Danny
Scheinmann, Malcolm Ridley, Sarah Sutcliffe
Review by Jean Lynch
With the tagline ‘modern romance is
a comedy of errors’, The West Wittering Affair is one
of those excellent, homegrown low-budget productions that proves
that innovative and intelligent filmmaking is alive and well,
just as long as you know where to look.
Having screened at the Northern Lights
Film Festival, this digitally shot debut feature from the
Scheinmann Brothers began life as a filmed actor’s
improvisation workshop, conceived around a very loose short
story idea. The results led all involved to pursue the narrative
through to a feature-length film, the improvisation lending
itself to convincing, naturalistic performances, reminiscent
of Mike Leigh.
The story follows four London professional
thirty-somethings who unwittingly find their destinies intertwined
following the course of one disastrous weekend. Kath (Sutcliffe)
invites a casual friend, Jamie (Scheinmann) for a weekend
at West Wittering for what she hopes may lead to some casual
sex but maybe something more. Not to appear too obvious,
she also invites her best friend Natasha (Cardinale) and
her husband Greg (Annen) along. Unfortunately, Natasha has
just discovered that Greg has been having an affair and,
post-huge bust-up, arrives in West Wittering alone. Thus,
Jamie has two women vying for his affections, the results
of which will affect their lives for a very long time. It
doesn’t help that the traumatised Jamie then
confides all in a therapist named Greg…
With the simplest of production values,
the Scheinmann brothers have, nevertheless, produced a very
enjoyable and absorbing comedy-drama. As the characters embark
on heart-rending journeys of self-discovery, the actor’s
performances are raw and all-too-real as they find themselves
in situations and making wrong choices that are almost too
painful to watch. A modern comedy of errors yes, but a very
human one, mirroring the way in which real life does, all
too often, seem to have a laugh at our expense. However,
whilst the film may display the naturalistic honesty of a
Dogme film, it is much slicker and less dark, the pathos
broken by very funny, often hilarious, snatches of black
humour.
Also of note is the wonderfully evocative
soundtrack, with original score by Mark Tschanz. It’s
hard to believe that all 15 songs in the film are original
and by unsigned artists.
The West Wittering Affair is a great
British movie that resonates endearingly with the viewer,
as well as providing many a laugh. Having first made it’s acquaintance with a viewing of
a review disc last year, it’s wonderful to see West Wittering
receive it’s theatrical release – support your
local grassroots British film industry and go see.
www.westwitteringaffair.com
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