TABLE 19 – Review

(From L-R): Lisa Kudrow as “Bina,” Craig Robinson as “Jerry,” June Squibb as “Jo,” Stephen Merchant as “Walter,” Anna Kendrick as “Eloise,” and Tony Revolori as “Renzo” in TABLE 19. Photo by Jace Downs. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

At the beginning of TABLE 19, we see Anna Kendrick struggling to decide whether to RSVP yes or no to a wedding invitation. She should have said no, and that might be the best advice for audiences thinking about seeing this film.

Kendrick plays Eloise, the ex-maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, dropped after the best man, also the bride’s brother, suddenly broken up with her by text. The invitation is to the wedding, and she torn between going to her best friend’s wedding or avoiding the heartbreak of seeing her ex with his new girlfriend.

TABLE 19 might sound like it would be a raucous BRIDESMAIDS type comedy but the film is more a dramedy. The script is by Jeffrey Blitz. Jay and Mark Duplass, who share a “story by “credit, are known for indie film favs PUFFY CHAIR and JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME, but fans of the Duplass brothers shouldn’t get their hopes up, as neither one directs this film.

Directed by Blitz, his resume includes ROCKET SCIENCE and the documentary SPELLBOUND, and several TV shows, including THE OFFICE.

Besides Kendrick, the film has a good cast that includes June Squib (NEBRASKA), Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”), Steve Merchant (“The Office”), and Tony Revolori (GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL). Blitz’s greater experience in TV comedy shows in this film. While the script shows some promise, Blitz’s lackluster, perfunctory direction fails to make much of either the comic or dramatic potential.

At first, it seems like TABLE 19 is going to go for BRIDESMAIDS territory. Kendrick’s character Eloise is torn about going to the wedding, but goes because after all this is her oldest friend’s wedding. To complicate matters, it is a destination wedding on an island, so once guests arrives, they are stuck there until the ferry arrives the next day. Trying to steel herself before going in the ballroom, she hangs around the hotel/venue’s reception desk long enough to catch the eye of a handsome Brit (Thomas Cocquerel) with odd name of Huck, who tries to chat her up. Eloise finally gets up the nerve to enter the ballroom, but she avoids Table 1, where her ex Teddy (Wyatt Russell) is sitting with the new maid of honor and current girlfriend Nikki (Amanda Crew).

Eloise is assigned to Table 19, the one for “those who should have responded ‘no’ to the invitation and sent a nice gift.” She knows, because she helped the bride with the seating chart, that this table in the far back is designated for the “randoms.”

It is indeed random, with the bride’s first nanny, Nanny Jo (June Squib), an awkward teen-aged boy Renzo (Tony Revolori) sent solo by his mother in hopes he will meet a girl, a lanky, creepy nephew named Walter (Stephen Merchant), and a long-married battling couple, Bina and Jerry Kepp (Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson), who run a diner together. As an introduction to these odd souls, the film offers a little glimpse of each as they get their invitations, which allows us a little insight on why they accept the invitation.

Clearly, TABLE 19 intends for the audience to bond with these outsider, misfit characters through humor and poignant moments. After lulling us into expecting just light comedy with the usual wedding humor, the film takes an unexpected turn into more serious territory. The script seems to try to turn the tables on conventional wedding comedy tropes, to go for something more human and poignant, but under Blitz’s uninspired direction, it never gets there.

There are some funny moments, mostly thanks to the cast. Merchant and Revolori contribute the most humor, mostly physical comedy, but the rest of the cast have less to work with in their roles. Squibb’s overly-sweet Nanny Jo wears after a few minutes, and the bickering, passive-aggressive couple played by Kudrow and Robinson also quickly become irritating rather than touching. Kendrick makes a mighty effort in her role as heartbroken Eloise, but gets no help from Wyatt Russell as her ex. Russell, the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, displays neither talent nor charisma in this role, nor enough good looks to make up for that. Kendrick has far more romantic and comic chemistry with Cocquerel in his smaller role.

There is not much reason to see TABLE 19, even for the biggest Anna Kendrick fan, so better to RSVP no.

RATING: 1 out of 5 stars