Jennifer Aniston has long been the poster girl for the romantic comedy heroine: unlucky in love — until she meets the perfect guy. But Aniston enters uncharted territory in the new indie drama, “Cake,” in which she plays an acerbic, pill-popping woman suffering from chronic pain.
Aniston’s Claire has survived a devastating accident that left her scarred both physically and emotionally. Constant pain makes her bitter and angry, and eventually leads to the disintegration of her marriage. When she gets kicked out of support group, Claire begins having hallucinations of a woman from the group who committed suicide, Nina (Anna Kendrick), and becomes obsessed with finding out everything about her life and death. While following her obsession, Claire strikes up a relationship with Nina’s widower, Roy (Sam Worthington), who is uniquely able to understand her anger and depression.
“Cake” is clearly Aniston’s attempt to prove to the world that she can handle serious roles, and for the most part, she succeeds. From the way she walks to the way she holds her face, she never drops character for even a moment. Occasionally her performance veers into the overly dramatic (her over-the-top reaction after hallucinating Nina’s suicide is practically comedic), but overall the role is a success.
Adriana Barraza is also a standout in her role as Claire’s caretaker, Silvana. Their relationship is one of the most touching aspects of the movie, mostly thanks to Barraza’s portrayal of Silvana as a caring but steadfast woman, who genuinely wants Claire to be happy despite her destructive personality.
While Anniston, Barraza, and the supporting cast give excellent performances, “Cake” fails as the emotional powerhouse it so desperately aspires to be. The film lacks depth, leaving both storylines and characters underdeveloped. Rather than exploring Claire’s relationships with her husband, Silvana and Roy, most of the film is spent establishing Claire’s suffering, with extended scenes that simply show her in pain, taking drugs, and drinking, which quickly grows tedious. The storyline involving Nina’s suicide feels more like an afterthought, only meant to underscore Claire’s never-ending suffering.
“Cake” is not a bad movie — there are several genuinely funny, touching scenes — but it is not a good movie either, despite an interesting premise and a talented cast. Aniston makes a valiant effort to save the flawed film, but this “Cake” still falls flat.
Read More
Early Visions at The Fralin facilitates creativity through artistic mentorship
By Delaney Coppola | YesterdayThe 10 week-long after-school program brings together children from the Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia with University student-artistic mentors.
Around the world in three stories — recommendations from Language House residents
By Gretel Brown | 2 days agoThese works of international fiction — all originally written in languages other than English and set in countries other than the United States — are the perfect getaway for students looking to put the semester behind them.
The Filmmakers Society is the heart of student filmmaking on Grounds
By Zachary Geller | 4 days agoThe Filmmakers Society, or FMS, is the University’s only filmmaking-based Contracted Independent Organization.
