The Coffee Table

In my ordinary day life i always have coffee every morning and i also have some during day time as well. Coffee is one of those things i need to have to function, or at least that´s the way it feels and i just keep this tradition going. I didn´t always drink coffee in my youth and i didn´t start enjoying it until i started working night shifts at the company known as Odal. This is where my coffee drinking actually started in the autumn of 1998 at the age of 21. All of my working collegues had coffee on every shift so it became like a social thing to sit down and talk on breakfast or lunch breaks. Our boss Hans was also nice enough to sometimes buy us a cake to enjoy with the coffee. Since then i developed my passion for coffee and i buy different flavors in stores, i might try a different kind of coffee at a café with a nice slice of apple pie. I don´t mind an Irish coffee either with some whiskey in there, perfect on a winter evening. Speaking of coffee and cafeés ( could be a diner as well ) i have a personal facourite film that actually have coffee as a connection to the film itself. And that is the 2005 drama film Coffee And Cigarettes by legendary director Jim Jarmusch ( director of Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai ). This film tells different stories from different characters while they are having conversations over a cup of coffee and a cigarette. What makes this film so good is the conversations, there is a lot of passion in the subjects and each character have a unique past. Really good acting performances from Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi and Cate Blanchett among others and the film looks really good on a technical level. A film you should see if you love fascinating films with depth. Speaking of coffee i heard last year of a Spanish film called The Coffee Table was getting good reviews after being screened on many film festivals worldwide. A film that seemed to be a quite different cinema experience. In fact this film took a very long time before getting a physical release. I finally got a chance to watch the film to see if this would be something i would appreciate. Is this a film you need to experience or is The Coffee Table not as good as i was hoping it would be?

Jesus ( David Pareja ) and Maria ( Estafania de los Santos ) are a couple going through a difficult time in their relationship. Nevertheless, they have just become parents to a little boy. To shape their new life, they decide to buy a new coffee table. A decision that will change their lives completly.

The Coffee Table is a perfect example of a film you should know as little as possible before watching this film. Avoid any trailers or reading about the film, i did the same thing going into The Coffee Table and i am so glad that i did. This is not only a disturbing film in many ways but especially if you are a parent to a child. Im not going to go into details and just let you decide if you want to watch this film or not. The coffee table itself is connected to the plot in a simple way, where you understand why this table is a symbol of grief. You might wonder how can a table make you feel sad? There is a perfect explanation to this once you see the film and understand what i specifically mean. This is an odd film in many ways that combines serious drama, comedy but especally bring in some very dark horror elements into the mix. On a psychological level this is where The Coffee Table works best, when the disturbing truth reveal itself and makes a powerful impact on the audience. I would argue that this might be one of the films that will really affect parents of all ages if you decide to watch The Coffee Table, because there is a scene in this film that will definetely shock you no matter how young or old you are. The acting in general is really good from basically the whole cast, and i would say actress Estafania de los Santos as the mother Maria stands out with her aggressive tone and ironic dialogue in certain scenes. Actor David Pareja have some very rough scenes to act out in, where we are supposed to feel the pain he feels. The Coffee Table is a film i will most likely never forget since it is so unique, so different from anything we usually see in ordinary film releases. It is a heavy film to swallow and have so many lairs of sadness written all over the surface. Director Caye Casas have not only made a really powerful film but have made a film that will make you question humanity. A must see if you want to see something different and uniqe, The Coffee Table will not leave your mind easily.

Rating: DDDD

P.S. If you want to watch a European blu ray release of The Coffee Table there is one coming from distrubtion company Second Sight coming out this year, just check their homepage for updates.