Plot: What’s it about?
If you were to turn the clock a couple of decades and look at the cast of Friends, it’s a good guess that Jennifer Aniston might not be your pick to be the biggest star of the bunch. Of course the cast of that show found all sorts of success (financial and otherwise), but it’s really Aniston who has stood the test of time and has become the one with the longest-lasting career. Yes, it might be argued that Courtney Cox with the Scream franchise and television shows is up there as well, but that’s a debate for another time. Still, Aniston has been in a number of films but never has had a lot of critical success. Yes, there was The Good Girl and Friends with Money, but apart from those two, it’s been pure popcorn movies for her. This all changed with 2014’s Cake. Aniston went sans makeup (in the traditional sense), went outside the box with the character choice and even garnered a Golden Globe award for her role.
Claire (Jennifer Aniston) lives her life in pain. Real pain. Her diet consists of white wine mixed with a cocktail of Percocet and Oxycontin. This helps to relieve her physical pain, but she struggles with much more than that. It’s never really told why, but she and her husband (Chris Messina) have split. She’s lost her son in what we can only believe was a car accident and has a full-time assistant in Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Silvana is overworked and underpaid, yet she has sympathy for her employer. Claire is also haunted by the ghost of one of her support group friends, Nina (Anna Kendrick), who has taken her own life. In a move that doesn’t really make a lot of sense, Claire seeks out Nina’s husband and tries to befriend him. However it seems that Claire’s best at pushing people away and her physical pain is the perfect excuse to do so.
There’s no denying that Aniston’s performance is one of her best, if not her best, ever. She was overlooked for an Oscar nomination, still I have to wonder if she’d have stood a chance against Julianne Moore, the eventual winner of the Best Actress award? That aside, it is nice and refreshing to see an actor push themselves into directions we’ve not seen before. As much as I enjoyed Aniston in We’re the Millers or Horrible Bosses, seeing her scarred and in pain in Cake made me appreciate that she really does have talent. Couple that with a fairly well-known cast (those expecting to see much of William H. Macy will be disappointed as his part is about 90 seconds long) and Cake is certainly a departure for some of these actors. But the yin to Aniston’s yang is Adriana Barraza who holds her own and helps make the movie worth a watch. Recommended.
Video: How’s it look?
The wide 2.40:1 AVC HD transfer looks pretty spectacular. There was a big deal made about Jennifer Aniston’s appearance in this film in that she wore no makeup (which is actually a bit misleading, since her scars could technically be considered make up), but it is noticeable. Aniston’s appearance does raise an eyebrow, with the bags and dark circles under her eyes, her hair is stringy and unkept – I’d have to say it’s a testament to the clarity of the image that really makes her look so bad. With due respect, Aniston is certainly not lacking in the looks department in real life. There are some sweeping shots of Los Angeles, though the interior scenes tend to dominate. Despite the nature of the film, the palette is generally warm and friendly. It’s a visually-pleasing film to watch – except for the theme and tone of the movie (if that makes sense).
Audio: How’s it sound?
There’s not a lot going on with the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack. I’d say that a good 95% of the film is dialogue and it sounds clear, rich and crisp. There are a few scenes that engage the surrounds, like the dive into a poor or the ambiance of the Los Angeles traffic. By and large, though, this is a from heavy movie that relies on the strength of the dialogue. And it does a good job.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- The Icing on the Cake: Meet the Cast – A brief feature that, as the title suggests, has some cast interviews.
- The Many Layers of Cake: Learning to Live Again – A bit more personal, this one focuses on loss and its theme within the film.
The Bottom Line
This is a tough call. On one hand, it’s nice to see Jennifer Aniston take on a very challenging role. Known primarily for comedy, she’s got nothing to prove. The film itself is kind of a downer and not something I’d watch more than once. The Blu-ray delivers above average audio and video, but the lack of any substantial features don’t really necessitate a purchase. This one is worth a rental, though die-hard fans might want to take the plunge.
