Table 19 Review
PG13: Thematic Elements, Sexual Content, Drug Use, Language and Some Brief Nudity
Fox Searchlight Pictures, 3311 Productions, 21 Laps Entertainment
1 Hr and 27 Minutes
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, June Squibb, Lisa Kudrow, Stephen Merchant, Tony Revolori, Wyatt Russell, Amanda Crew, Andy Daly
REVIEW: Have you ever wondered about the people who attend weddings and sit at that table where they bear little to no relation to the bride and groom? WELL, TABLE 19 is the film for you? I saw this trailer back in July expecting this Indie comedy would be at festivals. It just had that look, you know? But alas no, it’s another indie movie from Fox Searchlight, the most mainstream indie movie distributor. When you have a story from the Duplass brothers, masters of making Indie movie stories, you know you're in for a ride.
Ex-maid of honor Eloise (Anna Kendrick) - having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text - decides to hold her head up high and attend her oldest friend's wedding anyway. She finds herself seated at the 'random' table in the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, most of whom should have known to just send regrets (but not before sending something nice off the registry). As everyone's secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19. Friendships - and even a little romance - can happen under the most unlikely circumstances.
THE GOOD: What Table 19 offers right off the poster is its large cast. You know nearly everyone in this film, so seeing their face will bait you to seeing this. Shoot this weekend we're getting a double dose of Stephen Merchant with this and Logan. The fun of Table 19 is this cast coming together and exchanging comedic dialogue. Some of the dialogue is funny so you will get a smile here or there.
Out of all the performances, the cast has to offer, the strongest came from Wyatt Russell. Not any one of the actors at the table, but Wyatt Russell who plays the obnoxious ex-boyfriend who isn't as obnoxious as Eloise rags on him being. I'm really liking Russell as an actor nowadays and never stop ceasing to surprise me. He was hysterical in 22 Jump Street, wise in Everybody Wants Some, and now throughly emotional. He's coming to be the more likable Jason Segel for me.
THE BAD: So a bunch of characters sits at a table during a wedding reception.
- One is an ex-maid of honor who was dumped by the bride's brother
- One is there just to pick up girls
- Two are a bickering couple who are there just because
- One is a nanny who never stops talking but gets high
- And one is clinically mental and temporarily released from prison
Put all those personalities together you get another run of the mill indie comedy. Everyone is quirky and have their own smart wit, but lack every dimension whatsoever mainly because we saw these character types in every other indie movie. From the film’s poster you can distinguish who is who. It's like all these characters escaped from their own separate indie film and ended up here. These are one note characters, but with charismatic performances. What makes them a little likable is the way everyone treats them. Whoever these people interact with quickly treat them like shit after two exchanges. It goes from casual conversation to mess up one-sided insults.
The film's humor is your typical indie movie humor where the majority of the jokes are awkward. The quirky humor hits at times, but the awkwardness sometimes overpowers the humor that it constantly tries to deliver. When the film gets serious, it succeeds, but after it does it goes back to the awkward humor. The film adds a dog for cheap effect. They introduce him halfway through the film and of course, they use him for reaction shots for you to just say aww. If that doesn’t work the humor relies on prat falls where people are either dropping to the ground or throwing themselves to the ground. Sometimes they trip over absolutely nothing and still falls to the ground. A prat fall is funny at first when it’s off guard, but loses its worth by the third time it’s done. The movie doesn’t do do it once or twice, but in fact, five times.
The film is the most indiest indie movie to ever indie its way into a theater. From the Hozier type songs to the padded out pacing for the rather short running time the film has and most of all the generic beats the story hits. The film is 87 minutes of predictable indie movie shenanigans from beginning to end. If you thought Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here was too indie, this film will change your mind.
LAST STATEMENT: Table 19 features a talented cast, but it’s overly familar narrative beats and one note characters make it a barely entertaining, and forgettable watch.
Rating: 2/5 | 44%
Super Scene: Eloise describes each Table from 1-19
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Large Ensemble and Their Performances |
Generic Quirky Characters |
| Wyatt Russell | Pacing |
| Editing | |
| Constant Awkward Humor | |
