<div ng-controller="MyCtrl">

    <button class="btn" ng-click='filterCriteria={}'>All</button>
    <button class="btn" ng-click='filterCriteria.read=true'>Read</button>
    <button class="btn" ng-click='filterCriteria.title={{messages[0].title}}'>Foo</button>
    <pre>{{messages[0].title}}</pre>

    <hr/>
  <table class="table table-bordered">
      <thead>
          <tr>
              <td><strong>Title</strong></td>
              <td><strong>Content</strong></td>
              <td><strong>Read</strong></td>
          </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
          <tr ng-repeat='message in messages |filter:filterCriteria'>
              <td>{{message.title}}</td>
              <td>{{message.content}}</td>
              <td>{{message.read}}</td>
          </tr>
      </tbody>
  </table>
</div>


    function MyCtrl($scope) {

    $scope.filterCriteria = {};

    $scope.messages = [{
        title: 'Foo',
        content: 'Foo content',
        read: false},
    {
        title: 'Bar',
        content: 'Bar content',
        read: true}
            ];
     }

<button class="btn" ng-click='filterCriteria.title=(messages[0].title)'>Foo</button>

$scope.filterByName= function(name){
    $scope.filterCriteria={},
    $scope.filterCriteria.title=name;
}

<button class="btn" ng-click='filterCriteria.title=messages[0].title'>Foo</button>