Cake, Review

In the last Academy Awards, we saw Julianne Moore receive,deservedly, the award for best actress in a leading role in "Still Alice" where she has delivered an outstanding performance. This is one of those movies where the main performance makes acceptable the vision. The same applies to "Cake" where there is a Jennifer Aniston struggling not with the usual American comedy, but with a real drama. Her performance is certainly high quality and for this reason many have been disappointed not to see his Academy Awards nomination. But "Cake", directed by Daniel Barnz ( " Phoebe in wonderland") and written by Patrick Tobin, is a movie that superficially talks about pain, anguish, mourning and the movie becomes pathetic and pompous.

Claire (Jannifer Aniston) is emotionally afflicted and tormented. We can see her suffering from the way of dragging , between a groan and the other,  her body now scarred. Infact she is recovering from an accident that caused the death of his son. From that moment, she asks if it is right to continue to live, taking with her the inner wound that will never heal; for this reason the suicide of Nina (Anna Kendrick), a woman who she barely knew, strikes her. Maybe the death is the only way to accomplish this intolerable pain.

Claire is deliberately a unbearable and unpleasant character who preserves anger and resentment and who can't communicate with others. His grumpy attitude expels the people, friends and husband and for this reason she remain alone. The only one,who can bear her and understand her impatience with the surrounding world, is the housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza) who accompanies her everywhere, even to buy the drugs that helps quell the sadness. She is the classic caricature of domestic annoyed by the behavior of despotic mistress but she ultimately feels for her great affection and tenderness.In fact all of the movie surrounds itself with stereotyped characters, mostly Roy (Sam Worthington), husband of Nina. Claire approaches him and his son to find someone who shares his pain. Certainly the two have a different attitude about the grieving: Roy is furious with his wife and hopes that "burn in hell" for the choice that she made, but accepts with resignation what happened and anyway tries to get ahead; Claire, however, assumes a passive behavior and her victim is the proof.

 "Cake" focuses mainly on observation of the character of Claire. In fact the director, Daniel Barnz, chose to take mainly her and her movements. This preference has left little space to the context and the other characters who are not developed and characterized.. Surely the result that emerges is that of a flat film which doesn't evolve and shows clichés and content in an expeditious way.

                                                                                                          Caterina Barbieri

Daniel Barnz (“Phoebe in wonderland”

Daniel Barnz (“Phoebe in wonderland”