Table 19

(spoiler free)

‘Table 19’, the latest film by Jeffrey Blitz, certainly had promise. A group of misfit characters who received wedding invites only in the hope that they’d RSVP negatively but who have shown up anyway is a fun concept. With the talented cast the film managed to attract surely something could have been made of this wedding ‘comedy’. Unfortunately, just like a wedding you feel obliged to attend as soon as you’re in the midst of ‘Table 19’ you’ll wish you had stayed at home.

There is a real lack of pace and energy to this film. It meanders along for some time before any real narrative begins. When we finally do get some story it’s anchored by uninteresting romantic drama which may well fail to keep your attention. Whilst marketed as a comedy, ‘Table 19’ is in fact much more of a drama and a depressing one at that. This is the case for the majority of the film. The closing scenes thankfully take a much needed change in direction. These scenes are surprisingly effective however it’s a little too late to save the film as a whole. There are a couple of moments of humour throughout the film but at times the drama doesn’t mix well with this. One example would be the use of slapstick which is employed effectively at the beginning of the movie. Although, as things progress and the tone of the film becomes a lot darker the inclusion of this style of comedy becomes jarring. There are plenty of good comedic performers in the cast too and they play their stereotypical characters well. It’s just a shame that the writing for, and of, these characters is never up to the standard of their acting ability.

‘Table 19’ is about as much fun as a dry wedding. The potential for comedy here was massive but the concept & setting have been wasted on an unfunny script. Don’t get me wrong it’s not devoid of laughs altogether but it’s far too concerned with the more sombre drama to ever become overly entertaining. Don’t let the enticing cast fool you as this is one cinema outing you should regretfully decline…but actually have no regrets in doing so.

Rating – 4/10

Question: What is your favourite cinematic wedding scene?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)

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