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Rating: 3 out of 5
Have you ever sat alone at a restaurant? Sometimes it is a lonely thing. People might look at you and wonder why you are alone and if you don’t have anyone special. As a person who dines alone quite a bit, it is AMAZING. You don’t have to split any checks, you get to people watch, and the most important thing is that you can sit in the comfort of your own company. It is a peaceful thing to sit and enjoy yourself and not rush to eat or wait for anyone else to finish their food. This weekend, I might go out and sit by myself for a great meal.
If you want to see a drama-filled film where everyone seems to be alone but in other people’s drama, then look no further than Separate Tables. The film is about a variety of people going through some major shit in their lives while staying at a hotel. The film is based on two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan. It has an all-star cast starring Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Burt Lancaster, and Wendy Hiller. Separate Tables is one of those films that does a decent job showing the complicated lives of its characters. The story is meh, but the actors are what propel this film.
The movie revolves around the lives of the hotelโs residents. In Bournemouth, at the Hotel Beauregard, things are about to pick up and get shitty for many of the guests. First up is Major David Angus Pollock (Niven), who seems like a civilized gentleman and keeps to himself, but his life is about to turn upside down. As he is trying to hide the morning’s paper, he fails, and we learn that Major Pollock has pleaded guilty to sexually harassing several women in a theatre. The complaints seem suspicious, but the individual has become public enemy number one. His most prominent critic is the strict and bitchy Mrs. Railton-Bell (Kerr). Mrs. Railton-Bell sets out on a campaign to get Pollock thrown out. Mrs. Railton-Bell goes as far as to have a meeting with the other residents to have a vote. Only John Malcolm (Lancaster) stands up for Pollock. Still, Mrs. Railton-Bell ignores his plea and forces everyone to vote with her.
Another drama-filled arc in this film deals with John Malcolm (Lancaster), Anne Shankland (Hayworth), and Pat Cooper (Hiller). This one is where the action is at. Anne and John were married but divorced. John was an alcoholic and is a writer. They somehow meet at the same hotel and have a talk. Anne teases John and tells him he is engaged. John, in turn, tells Anne that he is engaged as well. John is engaged to Pat, who is the hotel owner and manager. The two spat for a while, but you see that they still have feelings for each other. John is insecure about himself and doesn’t know why Anne married him when she could have married any other guy in the world. He believes he chose him because he was in a lower economic class and used it to manipulate and degrade him. Anne has something else on her mind and asks John to come to her room. It’s about to go down. When the pair walks back into the hotel, Pat tells Anne she has a call. Pat has a side-eye on Anne, but John defends her. When Pat tells John that Anne is talking to his publisher, the only person who knows John and Pat are engaged. John gets pissed. John confronts Anne, and words are said, and things take a turn for the worse.
Those are the main arcs of the story. For Pollock, we learn from his point of view what happened. He is a really nice person who doesn’t enjoy being around people. He said that he touched several women’s elbows as he was passing them in the aisle. I can’t remember the actual reason, but the witch hunt that Mrs. Railton-Bell was doing seemed overboard. I liked how his arc ended with everyone saying hi to him at breakfast and allowing him to stay at the hotel. The John/Anne/Pat drama was the one that was at the forefront. More attention of the film focused on this storyline. It was the more heated arc. I wish it explored more of mental health and drug abuse. I had to rewind the film a few times to see if an assault happened. The film would’ve been fine with this arc. I guess you need to fill the time.
Most of the actors did a great job in this film, while others seemed to fade into the background. It could be because we didn’t get much character development with most of the cast. Let’s start off with David Niven and Wendy Hiller. Niven won Best Actor and Hiller won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. I am going to be honest; I didn’t see anything special in their performances. Niven was okay, and he had a decent scene, but Lancaster should’ve been nominated for Best Actor, and Niven could’ve won for Best Supporting Actor. Niven didn’t move me in this role, unlike the others I have seen him perform in. Hiller seemed like the stoic hotel manager who cared deeply about John. Still, she appeared emotionless more times because she had to deal with all the shit the residents were going through.
The performers who did an outstanding job and should’ve been recognized more were Hayworth, Kerr, and Lancaster. Hayworth as Anne Shankland and Lancaster as John Malcolm were excellent in their respective roles. They carried the movie the most. The interaction between their characters made you invest in them. Hayworth was elegant when she arrived on screen. She was looking oh so FOINE. She had the charm and sex appeal. As the movie progressed, you saw it was a faรงade as she was sad and a little mentally unstable. Lancaster, as John, was equally compelling. He seemed in control as his character stuck up for people. When he had his fight with Anne, dude completely bounced, and when he came back, he looked like hell. Finally, Deborah Kerr as Sibyl Railton-Bell was annoying to watch because we all know a little old woman like her. She made sure to get under peopleโs skin because I wanted her to be voted out.
Separate Tables is one of those films that is entertaining to watch, but it wasn’t a must-see movie. It was a decent drama that revolved around two main arcs. The movie is carried by certain actors, and in the end, you might nod your head and move on to better things. Maybe sitting at a table alone isn’t the worst thing in the world.
