How do I review The Coffee Table?
Straightforwardly, like any other film? Doesn't do it justice.
Meta, not mentioning the movie at all, but inviting associations? Too cute.
With a trigger warning? I don't believe in them.
Should you see it? Yes.
What happens in it? Jesus and Maria argue about buying a gaudy coffee table. Maria hates it. Jesus claims quid pro quo: she wanted a baby at her advanced age, so he should get what he wants, too. Their newborn son squirms in Maria's arms. They argue about his name. Jesus buys the table and brings it home to assemble it. He can't put on the glass top because he's missing a screw.
To tell more would spoil it.
What's the upside to seeing it? The Coffee Table intelligently confronts issues of maturity, desire, guilt, fidelity, legacy, and the devastating consequences of careless actions.
What's the downside? You can't unsee it.
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The Coffee Table (La mesita del comedor). Directed by Caye Casas. Screenplay by Caye Casas and Cristina Borobia. With Estefania De Los Santos and David Pareja. 2022. In Spanish with English subtitles. 90 minutes.