Table 19
(2017)You're invited to the wedding of the season.
Anna Kendrick is an ex-maid of honour (having been relieved of her duties after being dumped by the best man) who insists on still attending the wedding in this comedy written by the Duplass brothers (Baghead, Cyrus). There, she is forced to sit with five randoms at the dreaded Table 19.
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Directed by Jeffrey Blitz
Starring Anna Kendrick, Amanda Crew, Lisa Kudrow, Wyatt Russell, Stephen Merchant, Tony Revolori, Craig Robinson, June Squibb
Written by Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Out Now (On-Demand,
DVD or Blu-Ray)
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 1 providers
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Table 19
BY Alissa-Warren superstar
Like the wedding cake in this film it's a bit of a mess... bit sweet. It has been panned by reviewers everywhere and I suppose if you are professional you would judge "Table 19" harshly. I was entertained and I never expected Shakespeare so I was pleasantly surprised it was better than I assumed. Anna Kendrick (from 'Pitch Perfect' fame) leads a cast of interesting characters, just takes awhile to get going but it's likable and entertaining.
BY Ken-Burns superstar
Funny, human, engaging. The trailer does it no justice. 3 beers out of 5
BY cinemusefilm superstar
The heroine is Eloise (Anna Kendrick) who, against her better judgement, accepts a wedding... More invitation knowing she is persona non-grata with the bridal party. She was recently dumped by the bride’s brother, who is now the best man, and she is suddenly no longer the bride’s best friend. She was the chief helper with the reception planning and knows who is at every table and why they are here. Her companions on Table 19 comprise a lovable granny-type, two oddballs, and a quarrelling married couple. They were all expected to decline their invitation but still send a gift, and that alone is a recipe for humour and satire. Their distance from the bridal table and proximity to the toilets quickly establishes their lowly social status and the comic sketches play on social awkwardness. The thread of continuity is through Eloise and her manhunts. The standard sit-com one-liners and the obligatory near-catastrophe with a wedding cake are neither original nor particularly funny, but the situation develops a warm emotional undercurrent that is unexpectedly touching.
One of the interesting things about this film is the difference between its plot and story. The plot is standard wedding reception comedy which laughs at the marginalisation of unwanted guests. On the other hand, the story explores why the Table 19’ers are together. It offers insight into their lives, their personalities, and the emotional hurt caused by being placed on the social fringe. The best part of the film is when the offended “randoms” leave the reception for a while to console each other. Through flashbacks we get the back-story to their invitations which range from pathetic to comic. For example, the granny-type really believed she was invited because the bride fondly remembered her first baby-sitter, but the bride barely knows who she is. There is also a wannabe trying to lose his virginity, a weird guy straight out of prison, and a couple who are far from an inspiring example of a loving marriage.
Anna Kendrick plays the perfect balance between awkward, aggrieved, and aggressive, and the randoms are standard comic stereotypes. But while our eyes are on Elosie, the warmth of the story come from her table companions. The gags are at snicker level rather than belly laughs and the cinematography is colourful and cluttered as wedding receptions often are. There is no shortage of embarrassing moments as Eloise stalks her men, both old and new, and the final scenes rise through melodrama to operatic farce. But this film offers a fresh take on standard rom-com themes in amusing and entertaining ways…. and it might make you think twice if you need to create a seating plan.Hide
The Press Reviews
The gags ought to have been put out of their misery and there's a deeply uncool unfeminist message. Full Review
Slapstick and sap vie for prominence in "Table 19," a comedy so lazy that it actually features someone falling off a log. Full Review
Kendrick, one of the smartest actresses around, is playing well beneath her abilities. The movie is choking on fumes before it's even had the chance to begin. Full Review
Anna Kendrick has a recent track record of being decisively better than the movies she's in. Table 19, an innocuous but misguided mess written and directed by Jeffrey Blitz from a story by Mark and Jay Duplass, continues the trend. Full Review
The strangers-at-a-table concept turns out to be a thin excuse to cobble together what might have been the pilot episode for a glibly forgettable TV series. Full Review
Divorce yourself from this unfunny wedding comedy. Full Review
Everything you would expect happens, but little of it is funny or affecting. Full Review
A horribly superficial rom-com Frankenstein. Full Review
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