Table 19 Blu-ray Review
It’s a bit of a tropey joke that at least one table at a wedding will be designated for the outcasts–the neglected cousins, the buddies from middle school, the ex of so-and-so. It’s the one that the bride and groom hope won’t actually be filled, and in case it is, it’s set far enough from the dance floor and way down the list called for the buffet line.
It’s Table 19 that Eloise (Anna Kendrick, THE ACCOUNTANT) is designated to. She would have been much closer to the action, but her boyfriend/the best man/brother of the bride (Wyatt Russell, INGRID GOES WEST, and son of Kurt) dumped her months prior. She is joined by Jerry (Craig Robinson, SAUSAGE PARTY) and Bina Kepp (Lisa Kudrow, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN), who sorta-kinda know the father of the bride; the bride’s long-ago nanny (June Squibb, NEBRASKA); vague distant family member Walter (Stephen Merchant, LOGAN); and evident virgin (Tony Revolori).
As the reception progresses, exposition steps forward and certain things come to light that are supposed to make the stakes run high. But it’s hard to care when surrounded by a table full of obnoxious, bitter incompetents who appear to have only one detectable trait apiece. Even the protagonist, Eloise, is unlikeable in that she comes across as if she only wanted to selfishly steal the spotlight at somebody else’s wedding.
TABLE 19 is filled with stale material, from destroyed wedding cakes and bickering spouses to snarky elderlies and last-minute apologies. Written and directed by Jeffrey Blitz (2007’s ROCKET SCIENCE, several episode of THE OFFICE), TABLE 19 is about as fresh as the veal cousin Claire and Brett had at their wedding. And just as you should’ve gone with the fish (or a McDonald’s run), viewers are better off avoiding this poorly conceived, written and directed comedy.
There are some amusing moments here and there (almost exclusively through Kendrick and Squibb), but they are hard to come across, and the successful punchlines are few, like the number of Slayer songs played at a beachfront wedding. These characters, who can’t seem to give a good reason to have RSVP’d or muster up the strength to just up and leave, might cause you to scour the screen for any other table–4, perhaps, where the fun uncle and his trophy girlfriend are.
It’s hard not to point out that these people are at Table 19 for a reason, and just because the bride and groom had to invite them doesn’t mean we have to pretend to enjoy their company. TABLE 19, like its occupants, lacks depth, sense and reason. Blitz and company (which also includes the Duplass brothers, who share story credits) had a somewhat promising idea, but fail to deliver in nearly every regard, offering up leftovers and over-the-top scenarios for the duration of the movie. Really, why couldn’t we have been sat at Table 4?
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: 2.39:1 in 1080p with MPEG-4 AVC codec. This high-definition presentation looks quite nice, with fine details and healthy colors.
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; French DTS 5.1. Subtitles in English, Spanish and French. Dialogue and music come through nicely, the latter especially on the dancefloor.
Production Featurettes: There are three included, covering the characters, plot and cast: Table of Rejects (1:42), Head of the Table (2:21) and Table of Six (2:04).
Deleted Scenes (8:12): There are four here, which can be viewed separately or as a whole. They are: “Carol Millner Kills It,” “Cousin Donny Toasts It,” “Infamous Kate Works It” and “Table 19 Swings It.”
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Theatrical Trailer
DVD
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