Table for Six

{{Short description|2022 Hong Kong film by Sunny Chan}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Table for Six

| image = Table for Six poster.jpg

| caption = Promotional poster

| director = Sunny Chan

| native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none

| t = 飯戲攻心

| s = 饭戏攻心

| p = Fàn xì gōngxīn

| j = Faan6 hei3 gung1 sam1

| l = The Rice Scene Attacking the Heart

}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

| writer = Sunny Chan

| starring = {{Plainlist|

| cinematography = Meteory Cheung Yu-Hon

| editing = {{ubl|Cheung Ka-Fai| Alan Cheng}}

| music = {{ubl|Alan Wong Ngai-Lun|Janet Yung Wai-Ying}}

| studio = {{ubl|Edko Films|One Cool Film Production |Irresistible Beta Limited}}

| distributor = Anle Videos

| released = {{film date|2022|04||Far East Film Festival|2022|09|08|df=yes}}

| runtime = 116 minutes

| country = Hong Kong

| language = Cantonese

| budget =

| gross = {{estimated}} {{HKDConvert|74.54|m}}{{cite Box Office Mojo|title=Table for Six (2022)|id=21187542}}

}}

Table for Six ({{zh|t=飯戲攻心}}; lit: Heart Attack) is a 2022 Hong Kong comedy film written and directed by Sunny Chan. It was written as a sequel to the 2015 short film Table for Three.{{cite news |url=https://ol.mingpao.com/ldy/showbiz/latest/20220105/1641398081417/%E9%A3%AF%E6%88%B2%E6%94%BB%E5%BF%83-%E9%BB%83%E5%AD%90%E8%8F%AF%E7%82%BA%E7%88%AD%E9%84%A7%E9%BA%97%E6%AC%A3-%E8%88%87%E5%BC%B5%E7%B9%BC%E8%81%B0%E5%94%87%E6%A7%8D%E8%88%8C%E5%8A%8D |title=飯戲攻心︱黃子華為爭鄧麗欣 與張繼聰唇槍舌劍 |trans-title=Table for Six |access-date= 7 August 2022 |work=Ming Pao |date=5 January 2022|language=zh-hk}} The film is centered around the classical Chinese motifs of shared meals and dysfunctional family ties. It was initially scheduled to be released on 1 February 2022, the first day of the Lunar New Year, but it was postponed until 8 September 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|url=https://hd.stheadline.com/life/ent/realtime/2331458/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82-%E5%A8%9B%E6%A8%82-%E9%A3%AF%E6%88%B2%E6%94%BB%E5%BF%83%E4%B8%A8%E9%84%A7%E9%BA%97%E6%AC%A3%E8%B5%B4%E7%83%8F%E7%94%B8%E5%B0%BC%E9%81%A0%E6%9D%B1%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E7%AF%80-%E9%BB%83%E5%AD%90%E8%8F%AF%E6%8B%8D%E7%89%87%E9%80%81%E8%A1%8C%E6%B1%82-%E5%9C%9F%E7%94%A2|title=飯戲攻心丨鄧麗欣赴烏甸尼遠東電影節 黃子華拍片送行求「土產」|trans-title=Table for Six {{!}} Stephy Tang went to the Udine Far East Film Festival and Huang Zihua to send off a film to ask for "native products" |newspaper=Headline Daily|date=23 April 2022|accessdate=7 August 2022|language=zh-hk}}{{cite web|url=https://m.douban.com/movie/subject/35503125/|title=还是觉得你最好: 飯戲攻心(2022)|trans-title=Table for Six (2022) |website=Douban |date=1 August 2022 |access-date=7 August 2022 }}

It was selected at the 24th edition of the Far East Film Festival held from 22 April 2022 to 30 April 2022, where it had its world premiere and its nomination for Best Screenplay Award. Later it was also invited to the 21st New York Asian Film Festival in the crowd pleasures section, where it had its North American premiere on 23 July.

A thematic sequel to the film, Table for Six 2, was released on 9 February 2024 during Chinese New Year's Eve.

Synopsis

In the comedy, three brothers reside in a home that they have inherited from their late parents. The eldest brother, Steve, is theoretically the man of the house but is constantly criticised by his two younger brothers, Bernard and Lung, for his decisions, the inedible meals he cooks, and his complicated romantic encounters. To prepare for a family reunion dinner, Steve seeks the help of Lung’s girlfriend, Josephine, and wins back their hearts for a while, until Monica, his former lover and Bernard’s new girlfriend, shows up. The unexpected visit of "Meow", a web idol and Steve’s part-time girlfriend, further escalates the siblings' conflict.

Cast

In addition to the main cast, Louis Koo, Kenny Wong, Jennifer Yu, Tony Wu, Louise Wong, Philip Keung, Locker Lam, Ansonbean, Ng Siu Hin and Ling Man-lung make cameo appearances in a promotional easter egg.{{Cite web |url=https://ol.mingpao.com/ldy/showbiz/latest/20220915/1663237081275/%E3%80%8A%E9%A3%AF%E6%88%B2%E6%94%BB%E5%BF%83%E3%80%8B%E7%88%86%E5%BD%A9%E8%9B%8B-%E7%8E%8B%E8%8F%80%E4%B9%8B%E5%96%9C%E7%8D%B2%E5%8F%A4%E5%A4%A9%E6%A8%82%E7%86%8A%E6%8A%B1-%E6%83%85%E6%B7%B1%E5%B0%8D%E6%9C%9B |title=《飯戲攻心》爆彩蛋 王菀之喜獲古天樂熊抱 情深對望 |date=2022-09-15 |publisher=Mingpao |access-date=2022-12-27}}

Release

The film was initially planned to be released on 1 February 2022 but was postponed until 8 September 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was selected at the 24th edition of Far East Film Festival held from 22 April 2022 to 30 April 2022.{{Cite news|url=https://www.fareastfilm.com/eng/archive/2022/table-for-six/?IDLYT=15535 |title=Far East Film Festival 24, Table for Six; 飯戲攻心 (Faahn hei gung sam) |website= Far East Film Festival 24|date=April 30, 2022|access-date=August 7, 2022|language=ko}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/udines-far-east-film-festival-reveals-2022-line-up-13-world-premieres/5169494.article |title= Udine's Far East Film Festival reveals 2022 line-up, 13 world premieres |author= Michael Rosser|website= Screen Daily |date= 12 April 2022 |access-date=7 August 2022|language=en}}

It was invited at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival, where it was screened at Asia Society on July 23 for its North American premiere.{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/new-york-asian-film-festival-reveals-screen-honourees-and-full-line-up/5172191.article |title= New York Asian Film Festival reveals Screen honourees and full line-up|author= Michael Rosser|website= Screen Daily |date= 30 June 2022 |access-date=3 August 2022|language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nyaff.org/nyaff22/films/table-for-six |title=New York Asian Film Festival 2022, Table for Six - 飯戲攻心|publisher=New York Asian Film Festival|date=12 July 2022 |access-date= 7 August 2022}}

Reception

=Box office=

Table for Six has grossed a total of US$19.75 million worldwide combining its box office gross from Hong Kong (US$5.53),{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl349209345/weekend/|title=Detective vs Sleuths - Box Office Mojo}} and China (US$15.79 million).{{cite web|url=http://english.entgroup.cn/boxoffice/cn/daily/?date=11%20/08%20/2022|title=China Daily Box Office (11/09/2022)}}

{{As of|2022|9|25|}} the film is the second highest-grossing, Hong Kong-produced film released in the year 2022 with gross of HK$42,961,378.{{Cite web |url=https://event.hktdc.com/fair/hkfilmart-en/s/11082-General_Information/Hong-Kong-International-Film---TV-Market--FILMART-/Weekly-Box-Office.html |title=Hong Kong Weekly Box Office: 19 - 25 September 2022 Box Office |website=HKTDC|access-date=4 October 2022 |language=zh-hk}}

In the five weeks since the opening of the film, the cumulative box office exceeded 74.54 million Hong Kong dollars, breaking the box office record of Anita of 62.52 million, becoming the No. 3 highest-grossing Chinese film in Hong Kong. {{cite news |title=飯戲攻心|打入史上最賣座華語片三甲 總票房追貼《明日戰記》 |url=https://www.am730.com.hk/娛樂/飯戲攻心-打入史上最賣座華語片三甲-總票房追貼-明日戰記-/342625 |access-date=13 October 2022 |work=am730 |date=2022-10-12}}

=Critical response=

Tara Judah of Screen Daily reviewing the film for Far East Film Festival stated that "Sunny Chan serves up a light-hearted, soft-boiled comedy about misguided romance." Concluding Judah wrote, "Chan plays every narrative beat for laughs. While this approach makes the film easy to digest, it also means it misses out on the emotional payoff that comes with slightly higher – or at least somewhat consequential – stakes."{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/table-for-six-udine-review/5169965.article |title= 'Table For Six': Udine Review|author= Tara Judah |website= Screen Daily |date=29 April 2022 |access-date= 7 August 2022|language=en}}

Accolades

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Award

! scope="col"| Category

! scope="col"| Recipient(s)

! scope="col"| Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

rowspan="1"|2022

| scope="row" |24th Udine Far East Film Festival

| Best Screenplay Award

| Table for Six

| {{Nom}}

| align="center"|{{cite news|url=https://www.fareastfilm.com/eng/news/feff24-tutti-i-premi-del-festival/?IDLYT=13308|title=FEFF24: ALL THE AWARDS OF THE FESTIVAL!|date=May 1, 2022|access-date=7 August 2022|work=Far East Film Festival}}

rowspan=11| 2023

| rowspan=11| Hong Kong Film Award

| Best Director

| rowspan=2|Sunny Chan

| {{Nom}}

| align="center" rowspan=11|{{cite web|url=https://www.lifestyleasia.com/hk/entertainment/hong-kong-film-awards-2023-full-list-of-nominees/ |title=Hong Kong Film Awards 2023: Here is the full list of nominees |last=Soriano |first=Jainne|website=Lifestyle Asia|date=9 February 2023|access-date=26 March 2023}}{{cite web |url= https://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist41norm.html|title= Nomination List of The 41st Hong Kong Film Awards |website=Hong Kong Film Awards|access-date=26 March 2023}}

Best Screenplay

| {{Nom}}

rowspan=2|Best Supporting Actor

| Louis Cheung

| {{Nom}}

Peter Chan

| {{Nom}}

rowspan=2|Best Supporting Actress

| Ivana Wong

| {{Won}}

Lin Min Chen

| {{Nom}}

Best Editing

| Cheung Ka Fai, Cheng Wai Lun

| {{Nom}}

Best Art Direction

| Irving Cheung, Leung Tsz Yin

| {{Nom}}

Best Original Film Score

| Alan Wong Ngai Lun, Janet Yung Wai Ying

| {{Nom}}

Best Original Film Song

| "I love you so much"
Composer & Vocal Artist:Ivana Wong
Lyricist:Sunny Chan

| {{Nom}}

Best New Director

| Sunny Chan

| {{Nom}}

References

{{Reflist}}