Separate Tables

Starring: David Niven, Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, Wendy Hiller, Gladys Cooper, Rod Taylor
Directed by: Delbert Mann
Rating: Unrated
Genre: Drama, Romance
1958

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A collection of very different people interact at an out-of-the-way hotel.

Review:

Tim: Separate Tables is an interesting film. It was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, winning 2. While some of its accolades are certainly well deserved, a few others left me scratching my head. In the end, this is a solid movie with a very strong cast. However, I think it might be just a bit overrated. Still, this is a movie well worth checking out.

The film brings together a collection of characters, all staying in this small seaside hotel. The movie shows us the different interactions between the characters, with a lot of drama and a bit of romance thrown in. This was an interesting look a wide variety of people and what it means when their lives intersect.

David Niven plays a Major with a major secret of his own. Niven is good in the role and has a few moments where he really shines. His embodiment of the negative feelings his character experiences in quite memorable. While he has a tendency to overact a bit, I thought his performance was good. That being said, I'm actually quite shocked that he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Niven is on screen for less than 24 minutes. That is crazy and I still have no idea how he won. I don't think he was even the best actor in the cast. The Academy must have really went for his few powerful scenes. Personally, while I liked Niven, I'm shocked he won the Oscar. Deborah Kerr was nominated for Best Actress, and she really deserved the recognition. She certainly plays against type as this shy, diminutive woman who has led a sheltered and sad life. While she gets annoying as the film progresses, it's a pretty remarkable performance. She is a glamorous actress, but you would never know it by this film. She was quite excellent in the movie.

I also want to mention Wendy Hiller, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. While she's said publicly that she didn't believe she deserved it, I vehemently disagree. In a small supporting role, surrounded by actresses like Deborah Kerr and Rita Hayworth, Hiller gives perhaps the best performance of the film. She's a strong, proud woman that deals nobly with great heartache and sorrow in the film. I couldn't take my eyes off her, as she elevated this role into something truly memorable. I have no idea how she did it, but she gave my favorite performance of the film. I just felt so bad for her character and I respected her so much, and this is all due to the remarkable performance of Wendy Hiller. She was incredible and I'm glad she went home with the Academy Award.

I really, really like Burt Lancaster and I thought he gave a very good performance here. While his character gets a little frustrating after a while, it's still a strong performance. I actually thought Lancaster was better than Niven, but apparently the Academy disagreed, as he received no nomination. Lancaster apparently recut the film to showcase his character more. I think we could have done with just a little less of him, actually. Rita Hayworth was fine. I think she was decent in the role, but seemed to fade into the film with so many other strong actresses around her. The cast as a whole is pretty remarkable, and it's impressive that this film won 2 acting Academy Awards, with 1 other nomination.

This adaptation of a stage play is very good because it introduces us to all these flawed, interesting people. I loved that this movie bravely tackled a number of risque topics. We have a character who allegedly commits sexual harassment. Two characters have a clearly unhealthy relationship characterized by domination and belittlement, and we actually see domestic abuse. We see seduction and manipulation. It's all very dramatic, especially for a film from the 1950s.

Separate Tables features a great cast and addresses real-life, dramatic and dark issues. However, the film was recut against director Delbert Mann's wishes, and I can't believe it helped the film. Lancaster and Hayworth have a little too much screen time, while Niven and Kerr have too little. Besides the connection with Hiller due to her performance, I didn't have a great emotional connection with the rest of the cast. The film's conclusion was clever and sweet, but it was a little corny and didn't tug the heartstrings as much as it should have. That all being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I'm a little surprised it was nominated for Best Picture, but if you like drama, this is a must-see movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The King and I, Elmer Gantry