A Family Affair starts strong, indicating that it’s going to be a slapstick comedy subverting the perception of quaint British life. However, what little raunch and quirks there are get lost along the way. In the film, a couple, Edward and Helen, played by Joe Wilkinson and Laura Aikman, face impending doom as their parents descend to spend the weekend amid their hotel going up for auction, since Edward can’t pay the bills. Like most comedies, the conflict and story only matter in their ability to create opportunities for laughs. However, there wasn’t enough comedy to justify the thin narrative.
