Review: CAKE

Golden Globe nominated movie: Cake explores the mind of a women suffering chronic pain. She starts to become obsessed with the life of a suicidal woman as she suffers her own loss.

Instead of the usual corky roles Jenifer Anderson plays a dramatic character named Claire. Claire suffers severe back pains from a car accident that resulted in the death of her son. She also losses her want to live and her relationship with her husband starts to crumble.

Claire begins her obsession with a women name Nina Collins played by Ana Kendrick. Nina was originally apart of a support group full of women that suffer with chronic pains. Nina kills her self by jumping of a highway and Claire takes a strange interested in her life. This was for many reasons. One was because Nina had the life that Claire wanted, with a husband and a son. Another was because Claire wanted to do what Nina did: kill herself.

Claire begins to confine in many things to ease her pain. One way was drugs. Claire was obsessed with drugs and even had her caretaker and moral supporter go to extremes in order to gets drugs. Claire’s caretaker’s name was Savanna. She was an extreme part of this story because she was the only person Claire had. She was a sweet soul and was there for Claire ever step of the way even when Claire was nasty towards her.

Claire also confines in Nina’s husband, Roy Collins. There relationship was unique and it had nothing to do with anything sexual but more about support. They needed each to get through both losses and even when Claire showed up to Roy’s house unannounced he didn’t mind. Eventually Roy was getting better, but Claire wasn’t. She still was relying on drugs, and even had constant thoughts of suicide. Not even Roy could help.

Things begin to change when Claire overdoses and gets a second chance at life. She finally realizes that she was a good mother. Her character slowly but surely changes. The scene that represents change the most would be when she brings the significant Cake (Yellow cake with chocolate frosting) to Roy’s house. This was significant because one thing Nina wanted to do before she died was to make her son a cake from scratch. The last scene that showed her ultimate change would be when she finally lifts up from the passenger seat. This represented her wanting to finally live again.

Jennifer Anderson is this weeks Filmist because her character for Claire was one of the most powerful roles she has every played. Claire rubbed people the wrong way but even with all the tragedy Claire had her sweet moments. You say that with Savanna as well as Roy. Anderson represented women with chronic illness everywhere.

Cake was a powerful movie, but was a bit slow and some viewers may be bored. I would rate this film a 3 out of 5.