Review of Cake (2014) by Rachel T — 20 Jul 2015

An acting showcase for Jennifer Aniston. That's all I expected from "Cake" (R, 1:42). "After all", I thought, "it is awards season and critics didn't seem to care for the movie for itself". Well, most critics seem to have forgotten to evaluate movies based on what people care about - entertainment value (something I hope I never lose sight of in my reviews.) People care about a good story, well told. And that's what "Cake" is. As great as Jennifer Aniston is in the film, it's much more than an opportunity to remind us that she has the acting chops to do drama and do it well. I guess you could say that I thought I'd just like one piece of "Cake", but ended up swallowing the whole thing. Now, if you can handle that last pun, you can probably handle the rest of this review - and the movie, which has moments that can be difficult to watch.

Aniston plays Claire Bennett, a member of a chronic pain support group, for a reason that isn't disclosed until late in the film. Claire deals with her pain - and with life - with a very dark sense of humor and a difficult nature. She no longer lives with her husband (her decision, not his), she is asked to leave her support group, her physical therapist suggests that she work with someone else and she is rude to her caring, longsuffering housekeeper (Adrianna Barazza). Claire also takes a lot of pain medication. She gets her drugs any way she can, even if it involves deception (which it usually does). She takes as many pills as she thinks she needs, even if the amounts are medically unwise. From time to time, Claire shows that she has a good heart, but we see much more of her in pain - physical and otherwise. Basically, she's a mess, but...

Claire has the support she needs. Her estranged husband (Chris Messina) is a decent guy who still cares about her and wants to help. She meets and befriends Roy Collins (Sam Worthington), the husband of Nina (Anna Kendrick), one of the support group members who recently killed herself. Yeah, Nina's dead, but you can count her as a part of Claire's support network - kind of. Claire has several encounters with Nina, usually during one of Claire's self-imposed overmedicated stupors. The brief conversations we see the two women have shed light on what's going on in Claire's head as she works through her many difficult issues. And in one of Claire and Nina's "meetings" late in the movie, we come to understand the film's title - and get a powerful symbol of the story's message.

Jennifer Aniston is indeed a serious actress and "Cake" is a serious movie that stands on its own merits. It's a tough story, but progresses well and balances the portrayal of Claire's challenges with bits of humor and moments of real heart. There are no easy answers for Claire, but the answers are there, if Claire chooses to find them. In her struggles, we see some of our own, and maybe learn a few things about how best to deal with them. "Cake" is very good. It may not be as sweet a movie as you're used to from Jennifer Aniston, but it's never stale. It's tough to make a good one (movie or cake), but when you get it right, people can find it pretty enjoyable. I'm glad they made "Cake" and I'm glad I experienced this slice of life. Okay, enough with the puns, let me just give you my grade for the movie: "A-".