Claire Bennett (Aniston) suffers from chronic pain. A tragic accident left her with visible and emotional scars. She is miserable and has alienated everyone from her life. A member of her chronic pain support group, Nina Collins (Kendrick), commits suicide and Claire becomes fascinated by Nina.
She meets and befriends Nina's husband Roy (Worthington) and begins hallucinating conversations with Nina. Her maid Silvana (Barraza) is worried, but continues to take care of her. Claire is kicked out the support group and physical therapy, and her narcotics prescriptions start to get low. Claire is left with difficult decisions: does she have the courage to live or does she have the courage to die?
I was intrigued by the film. It received considerable buzz around awards season in 2014, and reviews lauded Jennifer Aniston's performance. Despite the buzz, Aniston only won a few awards for the film, and did not nab an Oscar nomination. Aniston delivers a deep performance, fully transforming into Claire. She does not wear makeup (other than the scars and in one brief scene) and her hair is natural (no special styling). You feel her pain and can't help but wish the best for this bitter character, especially as her story is revealed. I loved Aniston in Friends, and have enjoyed many of her comedic performances. It is nice to see her do something different and really display her acting skills.
The writing and direction is strong. Writer Patrick Tobin created a powerful story, and director Daniel Barnz made wise decisions with the direction of the film. The casting is excellent, with each actor bringing a new depth to the story. Adriana Barraza is another standout, with a strong and heartbreaking performance.
A well-made film that can be uncomfortable at times, but is worth the payoff.
Cake (2014) 102 minutes
Rating: R for language, substance abuse and brief sexuality
Director: Daniel Barnz
Starring: Jennifer Aniston as Claire Bennett
Adriana Barraza as Silvana
Anna Kendrick as Nina Collins
Sam Worthington as Roy Collins
Mamie Gummer as Bonnie
Felicity Huffman as Annette
William H. Macy as Leonard
Chris Messina as Jason Bennett
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