BWW Reviews: The Cast of CAKE Takes The Cake

For many months, Claire Bennett (Jennifer Aniston) has been finding new and inventive ways to unhealthily cope with her chronic pain and major personal tragedy. In the process, she alienates her husband (Chris Messina), her girl Friday Silvana (Adriana Barraza), mental health support group facilitated by Felicity Huffman's Annette. Her salvation comes in the form of fellow group member, Nina Collins (Anna Kendrick), and Nina's widowed husband, Roy Collins (Sam Worthington).

If you're looking at the film strictly as Oscar bait, then the role seems to be the wrong choice for Aniston who is looking to stretch her acting chops and deepen her material. But when you scratch the surface, CAKE is a more difficult and profound expansion of the romantic comedy she does so well and so often.

CAKE is a dark, dark film with comic moments, but it deals with love as much as it deals with tragedy. We still have star-crossed lovers (Aniston and Worthington) along with our substance abuse. There's nothing more appropriate for a woman who wants depth and starred in HORRIBLE BOSSES and F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Stretching the definition of love is the most this film stretches, but it's bolstered by strong performances from its leads. Jennifer Aniston can act. This shouldn't come as a surprise unless you are under the mistaken assumption that comedic acting doesn't require skill. Aniston is measured and smart with her character. Claire Bennett is a bitch with no boundaries, but she's not a caricature. Anna Kendrick is perfect as the playful, teasing (and torturing) memory of Nina Collins. Sam Worthington as Roy Collins is overly steely as the most attractive widower on your block, but he is a fit foil to Aniston's Claire Bennett. Felicity Huffman disappears into the role of Annette, showing that the expert actress can both lead and follow. CAKE also includes a powerful cameo from William H. Macy.

Director Daniel Barnz (Beastly, Phoebe in Wonderland) is an actor's director. It seems that with CAKE he's more interested in highlighting the actor's skillful performances than making fresh directing choices. Then again, when it works it works. Take for instance, the opening. Aside from the overtly MONSTER-esque opening shot attempting to wash out the well manicured beauty of Jennifer Aniston (Claire Bennett), director Daniel Barnz does a terrific job of immediately making the audience privy to Aniston's character's subjectivity, which is very important since it's clear that Claire Bennett's tragedy has made her a destructive and often abusive human being.

Once Barnz gets us over that hump, we can see Claire Bennett as the person she truly is, the person Silvana (Adriana Barraza) her loyal friend and domestic knows her to be. She was a high-powered attorney, a loving friend and wife. She's the woman you want to have drinks with after you clock-out for the day. At least she used to be. And that's the crux of the film, you continue to watch, because you continue to hope, she'll become the woman she once was.

CAKE is a fairly predictable film, but it is laudable for its accurate, minute study of tragedy, trauma, and the struggles mental illness. At the very least, the film explores how tragedy can takes away the beauty and life of someone full of beauty and life. The material isn't groundbreaking, but it's still worthy of exploration.

CAKE, directed by Daniel Barnz with a screenplay by Patrick Tobin, opened in Houston theaters on January 23rd. The film stars Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, William H. Macy, Chris Messina, Lucy Punch, Britt Robertson. Running Time is 98 minutes. For more information about CAKE, see the film's website and Facebook page.

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