Table 19

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rya Meyers, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson, Wyatt Russell, Tony Revolori, Margo Martindale, Stephen Merchant, June Squibb
Directed by: Jeffrey Blitz
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of unwanted wedding guests are placed at Table 19, where they unexpectedly bond due to their low importance to the bride and groom.

Review:

Tim: Table 19 feels like your typical lightweight romantic dramedy. There's a few better-than-expected moments sprinkled throughout the film, but as a whole, this movie is unfortunately too forgettable. It doesn't really make the impact it needed to. It's decently entertaining, decently funny, but never much more than that. I thought it was a perfectly fine movie, but it's not one I would be eager to revisit.

I really like Anna Kendrick, so it's not surprising that she was the bright spot of the film. She does have a very relatable quality to her. I liked her in the lead role, although I was disappointed she didn't have a better film around her. Still, she does well with what she's given. I really enjoyed Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson as a struggling couple. They were really funny together and elicited quite a few of the funniest moments of the film. They add great supporting performances and both of them made the movie significantly better because of their presence. Tony Revolori was much more hit-or-miss. He had some funny moments, but his character was way too forced and over-the-top. I never really believed his character and I didn't like him very much. He didn't feel like a real human being, he felt like a Hollywood caricature. Stephen Merchant was somewhat similar- he's a better actor than Revolori, so he comes out looking better, but his character was a bit too creepy, a bit too off balanced. June Squibb was very good, playing her role authentically. She was one of the better parts of the film. I've been seeing Wyatt Russell everywhere I look, although I'm not convinced yet of his real level of talent. He was okay in this film, but he never managed to connect with me. I didn't really care about his character or what happened to him. That hurt the film. Still, the cast as a whole is surprisingly strong for a film like this and it remains the number one reason to see this film.

The characters and the story were pretty weak. It felt very Hollywood and very unconnected with real life. I never believed this crazy collection of characters at Table 19 would actually come together, bond, and become friends. It felt like a plot convenience, not something that was rooted in reality. I'm not saying this couldn't happen, but the film didn't portray it in an especially convincing light. Some deep bonds were forged relatively quickly and it was a bit farfetched. I thought the eventual resolution of Kendrick's character's story was a bit weird. It wasn't the ending I expected nor would have liked to see. It again felt too color-by-numbers. It felt rushed. Now, there are a number of decent moments throughout the film. I did occasionally laugh and I was somewhat intrigued by all these different characters coming together. I didn't quite believe it would happen like this, but there's something inherently entertaining about seeing so many unique people bonding over a shared slight.

I have to give Table 19 some credit for at least attempting to do something different in the romantic dramedy genre. It doesn't quite get there, but it tries. It kind of felt like it was working to break free of the ties of the genre, but in the end, they proved too strong. The movie wasn't exactly like the hundreds of other films we've seen, but the final product is a little too close for comfort. This isn't a bad movie by any stretch, but it just feels like a second tier effort all around.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



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