SummaryClaire Simmons (Jennifer Aniston), a woman in a chronic-pain support group, investigates the suicide of a fellow group member, developing an unexpected relationship with the woman’s husband (Sam Worthington).
SummaryClaire Simmons (Jennifer Aniston), a woman in a chronic-pain support group, investigates the suicide of a fellow group member, developing an unexpected relationship with the woman’s husband (Sam Worthington).
Aniston works so hard to avoid sentimentality that it's disappointing when it creeps into the film. Director Daniel Barnz casts everything in a blue-yellow light that oversells the melancholy mood.
The one humanizing slice of Cake that is tolerable is Claire’s relationship with her Mexican housekeeper, Silvana (the terrific Adrianna Barraza, who was Oscar-nominated for 2006’s “Babel”).
If you are in a period of depression or this is your everyday struggle with life and basically you are full of s***, then you will feel the connection and be totally satisfied with the film. I guess people find this movie boring, because of it's subject. And the subject is depression, so basically nothing should be happening, because this is what depression is - only clouds, no events, no wishes .
Anyway, I find this movie outstanding and Jennifer Aniston's performance brilliant. For people, who say they don't like the movie - okay, but for those, who claim Aniston acted badly - I'm very sorry, but your judgment for acting is too incorrect to write reviews for films. To critics I can say - your opinion for movies are almost every time wrong, too exaggerated or too underestimating. This time is no exception. Open your eyes and mind, it's funny in bad way.
It’s official.
Jennifer Aniston has been robbed of an Oscar.
And a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award, for that matter.
In a year that gave us an extraordinary array of lead roles for men and an even more extraordinary roles for supporting women, 2014 proved to not offer too many truly memorable roles for leading women.
And with all due respect, as much as I utterly adore this year’s **** and Oscar front runner Julianne Moore and think she has been deserving more than once for the little gold guy, it is officially an outrage that Jennifer Aniston did not get an Oscar nomination.
Because she should have won.
“Cake” is an utterly heartbreaking yet breathtaking look at the pain of loss, both physical and emotional, and the seemingly impossible task of finding the strength to go on. Or even get up.
Aniston is nothing short of astonishing as Claire Bennett, a woman who has just about lost everything but a slim will to live, a loyal housekeeper, crippling remorse and the ability to find reasons to just barely get through her day through the help of Percocet, wine, arguments and awkward casual sex.
And then she stalks Roy.
The less you know about the film, no doubt the more you will gain, but this study of pain and loss and stumbling upon that one little thing that might just give you a little more strength than you had yesterday is one of the most astounding films of this year or any in recent memory.
Not only will Aniston leave you in awe like she has never done before in the single best role of her career thus far, both Sam Worthington and Adrianna Barrazza are utterly brilliant in their supporting roles and both could easily have garnered nominations in a less competitive year for those categories.
“Cake” didn’t just move me…it sunk right into my soul and gave me a better understanding of the human condition of sorrow…the likes of which I hope I never have to experience myself.
Director Daniel Barnz, who also made the unbearably earnest "Won’t Back Down," never wavers in his more-is-more conviction. Perhaps with a better script and in surer hands, Cake could have been salvaged.
To be sure, Aniston leads with her scowl here, in the sort of performance that often gets called “brave” but is, in fact, more accurately described as a well-executed change of pace.
Don't write a lot of reviews, but I have to counteract the reviews given by holier than thou professional critics. If you or someone you know has been through extreme emotional and/or physical pain, then this movie should be seen. I can't believe Aniston didn't get a nomination. So good. Some very funny moments, but it definitely left a lump in my throat more than a few times.
It may sound dismissive to phrase the sentence “CAKE features Jennifer Aniston’s career-best performance so far” since the only noteworthy acting job from Ms. Aniston’s filmography before CAKE is THE GOOD GIRL (2002), a modest dark comedy gives her a nomination of Independent Spirit Awards more than a decade ago (being an eternal fanboy of FRIENDS, it is painful to admit that the sea change takes a bit too long to happen, ok, who am I kidding? She has been one of the most bankable mainstream actress and beloved celebrities in the cutthroat line of work, who would whine about that!), however, it is truly a sterling transformation for any actor to portray Clair as the way Ms. Aniston has done, a woman constantly suffered from chronic pain, and this is only the physical torture, a past tragedy of loss her son is severely gnawing at her internally, to the verge of giving up her own life.
keep reading my review on my blog, please google cinema omnivore, thanks!
Jennifer Aniston gives an excellent performance as a woman suffering both physical and mental pain. The hair is stringy, the face scarred, the body constantly in pain as she seeks relief with Percocet and alcohol. Her husband, Chris Messina, has left to fight his own demons, she has been thrown out of a support group and aside from a loveless interlude now and then with her gardener, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, her main companionship is with her housekeeper Adriana Barraza, who equals Aniston’s performance. The two women represent the imbalance white women and their Mexican help have, particularly in Southern California, though it is only followed through in one quick scene.
“Cake” contains not only fine performances by Aniston and Bazzaza but also from Felicity Huffman, as a support group leader, along with a cameo by William H. Macy that is too short to have the impact it should plus Sam Worthington as a husband who recently lost a wife, Anna Kendrick, to suicide as she couldn’t deal with the constant pain, with a young boy to raise.
The sad thing about “Cake” is that the screenplay by Patrick Tobin, and the director Daniel Barnz, doesn’t even come close to what the actors give them to work with. They play it safe and go with the story of why Aniston is in such pain with a bunch of clichés that are telegraphed way before it has any impact.
“Cake” is, what was called in the 1940s, a 4 hankie picture and would have been a star vehicle with say Bette Davis and though Jennifer Aniston equals a performance of that stature unfortunately the screenplay and direction lets them down and we get a 1 hankie picture instead.
Not another Aniston bomb! Please someone let her know that she can't act and to stop. I'm getting embarrassed for her. There is a reason this never made it to many theaters and was being pulled after the first week out.