“I want this film to end”, the main character screams from the bottom of his lungs, but it is much too late, for way too long has the film been running, a remake of the spanish black comedy, borderline horror film The Coffee Table.
The concept is somewhat promising: a young couple with a newborn baby buys an ugly coffee table with a glass top, to the protests of the tasteful mother and the obstinated (and tasteless) father. An accident occurs soon after, leading to the father to dissimulate the aftermath, as his brother is visiting with his partner and the younger girl from the neighbourhood endlessly complicates matters by insisting on a romantic affair. A great setup for a comedy, save for the authentically brutality and tragic value of the accident that occurs: much like the protagonist of the film, the film itself requires the viewer to have little clue about its storyline, to walk in expecting to watch a family comedy and be shocked. It is, indeed, black comedy of the darkest kind, its protagonist is portrayed by Alper Kul, best known for comedic roles in Turkey, here in a performance that, beneath the surface, is dramatic, borderline psychotic.
Save for the cast’s talent in depicting a tragic event as a comedy of errors, The Turkish Coffee Table has little to offer: the visuals are totally soulless and uninteresting, save for a few details in the reflections. Some scenes seem to drag excessively, especially in the opening, providing no additional value except for a series of interpersonal conflicts that do not really emerge much. The whole film seems to be designed for a covid-era shooting, with few locations and few actors, but the restrictions of space are never really taken advantage of through the visual form. Even the soundtrack is too pompous and unneccessary whenever it appears.
Alper Kul definitely proves himself in a role that is unusual for him, which is probably what this film was the vehicle for, but The Turkish Coffee Table makes for a not-so-entertaining 88 minutes that lack polishing directorially and on the general vision.
RATING: 2/5