La mesita del comedor

Jesus and Mary begin, not in a manger, but in a furniture store where an overbearing salesman works tirelessly to sell them a coffee table. The hideous piece features "fake gold" nude women figures and what the man describes as "unbreakable" glass.

The new mother is a bit long in the tooth for childbearing and the pair seem to be going through a difficult time in their marriage. The first ten minutes or so can be described as a comedy but by the halfway point, things take a dark turn.

Jesus needs to assemble the coffee table and an accident causes his world to shatter and the final act is as well done as anything I have ever seen.

A ten day shoot is a miracle these days and the script is concise and smart. Do not miss The Coffee Table. A solid 9/10. Do not miss this gem.

Short review: I've always loved the concept of one small decision changing everything in a massive way. We were actually warned by the director before watching this film not to watch it. I thought to myself, I've seen the worst of the worst, how bad could it be? This isn't a film like 'A Serbian Film' or 'Hostel' that sets out with no purpose other than to shock you as much as possible. But this film will drain you and have you thinking long after the credits roll.

There are a couple of moments of humour in the film, and they are genuinely funny moments, but because of the subject and tone of the film you feel like a monster if you laugh. I can't remember experiencing that before.

This is an emotionally draining film and not one that is designed for everyone to watch. However if you are game I think you will find it both rewarding and memorable. 8/10.

Very unpleasant to watch. Not cause its frightening or shocking or gore/splatter. None of these things. But the accident that happened made the rest of the movie unbearable to watch. Im not sure about the comical parts, doesn't fit well with the rest and it would have worked better without it with more realism and seriousness. But the director probably wanted to light up the movie a little cause the premise is grimm enough. With that saying, for me it felt over the top and silly in some parts, which i didn't like. Compared to hanekes funny games it lacks the suspense and u just want it to be over. So you dont care much what happens after till the reveal happens. I couldn't even focus on their conversations anymore cause i was in such unease the whole time. I can't say if thats good or bad. It really puts you in the situation of the father 1:1, so therefore goal achieved! But its a waste of that very long middle part that you just wanna skip and dont wanna invest watching cause it drags you out that much.

A put-upon husband gets his way for once, and then screws up in the worst way imaginable.

Not a horror, but a black comedy fuelled by the awful unease of having to own up to the unspeakable. It is engaging, but doesn't really amount to much, and the comedy relies on heavy-handed irony and a score that tries to mix a sense of spaghetti western showdown into the mounting dread. Also very heavy on dialogue, which crowds out the need for action.

The central Event is dealt with off-camera, and only referred to afterward through the stains it leaves behind. A secondary Event is thrown in for gratuitous plot complications, but can't really be sustained by the rather plain characters. I thought the chance for dramatic irony was missed in not getting the wife to decide for herself to stay out of the room: "I promised not to become over-attentive, like my mother" - along those lines.

The performances are good, with the psychic pain of the lead character well delivered. And the direction keeps up variety in a tight location.

Overall: notable oddity.

P.s. There is a Jesus theme, but I don't think it informs the story. Maybe I need to think harder.

This movie is deceptively intense, all the way through. A man who has a habit of leaving things unresolved, makes one terrible accident that changes the trajectory of his life and because he can't cope, he chooses to stay silent. And as expected his silence makes it worse and the reveal coupled with other unresolved issues culminate to destroy his entire family. I was stressed the entire movie and though it had moments that were very bloody, it's not graphic, it hints at the graphic moments rather than shows it. There's a small but great cast, only a few locations but mostly takes place in an apartment. This was much better than I expected. Well done.