The Coffee Table
| The Coffee Table | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Spanish | La mesita del comedor |
| Directed by | Caye Casas |
| Starring |
|
Production companies |
|
Release date |
|
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
The Coffee Table (Spanish: La mesita del comedor, lit. 'The dining room's small table') is a 2022 Spanish black comedy[1] film directed by Caye Casas which stars David Pareja and Estefanía de los Santos.
Plot[edit]
The plot follows a couple formed by María and Jesús who buys a tacky table, a move that proves to be their worst decision ever.[2]
Cast[edit]
- Estefanía de los Santos as María[3]
- David Pareja as Jesús[3]
- Claudia Riera[2]
- Josep Riera[2]
- Itziar Castro[2]
- Emilio Gavira[2]
- Claudia Font[2]
- Gala Flores[2]
- Cristina Dilla[2]
- Paco Benjumea[2]
Production[edit]
The film was produced by La Charito Films alongside Alhena Production and Apocalipsis Producciones.[4] It was shot in Terrassa.[2] The helmer pitched his film as "an uncomfortable, politically incorrect film with extremely black humor and a brutal tragedy".[2]
Release[edit]
The film was presented in the 'Rebels with a Cause' slate of the 2022 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).[5] It also made it to the slate of the 2023 Fantaspoa for its Latin-American premiere,[6] and to the 2023 Fantastic Fest lineup for its North-American premiere.[7] MGM Premium boarded rights to the film.[8] Cinephobia Releasing picked up North American rights to the film.[9]
Reception[edit]
According to the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, The Coffee Table has a 85% approval rating based on 13 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[10]
Rafael Motamayor of /Film gave the film a 10 out of 10 rating deeming it to be "one of the bleakest, meanest, most unbearably cruel movies you could ever see".[11]
Top ten lists[edit]
The film also appeared on a number of critics' top ten lists of the best Spanish films of 2023:
Accolades[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Best Film ('Rebels with a Cause' section) | Won | [9] | |
| 2023 | 41st Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival | Best Film ('White Raven' competition) | Won | [13] | |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Hopewell, John (16 May 2023). "Top Catalan Titles at Cannes". Variety.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "El director de Terrassa Caye Casas estrena "La mesita del comedor" a Tallinn". Diari de Terrassa. 23 November 2022.
- ^ a b Vall, Pere (26 April 2023). "El director Caye Casas se lleva el prestigioso premio White Raven". Mon Terrassa.
- ^ Suárez, Marta (29 April 2023). "La Charito Films logra un gran éxito en la 41ª edición del Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival". Qué!.
- ^ Vall, Pere (12 December 2022). ""La mesita del comedor": la comedia será cruel o no será". Fotogramas.
- ^ Mack, Andrew (8 March 2023). "Fantaspoa 2023: First Wave of This Year's Lineup, Festival Finally Returning to In-Person". Screen Anarchy.
- ^ Complex, Valerie (15 August 2023). "Fantastic Fest Sets 2023 Lineup; Legendary Pictures' 'The Toxic Avenger' To Open, Blumhouse Horror Comedy 'Totally Killer' Closes; Angus Cloud Pic In Mix". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Leffler, Rebecca (12 May 2023). "MPM Premium boards 'The Coffee Table And Raoni: An Unusual Friendship' (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
- ^ a b Mack, Andrew (7 July 2023). "The Coffee Table: Spanish Dark Comedy Horror Acquired by Cinephobia Releasing For North America". ScreenAnarchy.
- ^ "The Coffee Table". RottenTomatoes. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ Motamayor, Rafael (24 September 2023). "The Coffee Table Review: An Unbearably Cruel Dark Comedy Everyone And No One Should Experience [Fantastic Fest 2023]". Slashfilm.
- ^ Martínez, Luis (21 December 2023). "Las 10 mejores películas españolas de 2023, de 'Zinzindurrunkarratz' a 'La mesita del comedor'". El Mundo.
- ^ Engelen, Aurore (24 April 2023). "Halfway Home bags the Silver Méliès at the BIFFF". Cineuropa.
