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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Students send heartfelt message to missing Ashland girl End-of-month sale set at Ashland library Rose Circle volunteers help mentor children 10 things to know for Tuesday Mt. Ashland Ski Area looks for ways to diversify Education A connection between Charlie Hebdo, MLK and the classroom Crunching the numbers Chickenpox in rear-view mirror? Ashland schools expand chicken pox exclusion rules Students go behind the scenes at hospital Environment Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs The top five conservation success of 2014 Protestors want Keystone pipeline plans stopped Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi Q5 Silvio Calabi: Chrysler 200S — hey, who is that? Ashland Fiber Network wants to be able to keep trade secrets The heart of Brammo will remain Silvio Calabi: Ford Escape Still a Solid Player Politics and elections Ashland Fiber Network wants to be able to keep trade secrets Volunteer award, State of City address presentations Tuesday City's policy, efforts aim for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Chief Holderness retiring, wants to help find successor State News State records show number of big marijuana farms has increased New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Nation - World Obituaries May E. Harrison James Bernard Death Notices Death Notices James Bernard Shareable Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Sports Latest Stories Sacks, Gooding claim Century title Sacks, Gooding claim Century Tourney title Ashland girls remain winless in MWL Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Four Raiders up for SOSC honors High school Ashland girls remain winless in MWL Springfield takes advantage of Ashland letdown A Grizz sweep Comets press past Grizzlies Raiders put on a show Southern Oregon University Ashland girls remain winless in MWL Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Four Raiders up for SOSC honors Springfield takes advantage of Ashland letdown Mariota wins Manning award Opinion Latest Stories Our View: Whole lotta shakin' ... Letters to the Editor, Jan. 27 Other Views: Managing wild horses Letters to the Editor, Jan. 26 Chris Honoré: Modern media: the unreliable narrator Editorial Our View: Whole lotta shakin' ... Other Views: Managing wild horses Our View: Adjusting the lines Our View: City gets high marks Our View: King's other message Letters Letters to the Editor, Jan. 27 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 26 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 22 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 21 Guest opinions Chris Honoré: Modern media: the unreliable narrator Guest Opinion: The relevance of socialism in the U.S. Herb Rothschild Jr.: Support single-payer Guest Opinion: We're Oregonians, but we're not stupid Chris Honoré: The Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya — an elegy Revels Latest Stories Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Brian Freeman presents 'An Evening of Scottish Music' Best Bets: Jan. 22-29 Ballyhoo! brings reggae and rock to Brickroom 'Sniper' reveals the total cost of war Theater Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Insights into the gifts theater offers off the stage Theater is an act of co-creation Music The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Jeff Kloetzel at Belle Fiore The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Visual Art Schneider winter exhibits on tap: 'Baker's Dozen' and 'New Works' First Friday kicks off a new year Movies Movie review: ‘Mortdecai’ majorly misses the mark Movie review: Aniston’s performance is the icing on ‘Cake’ Movie review: ‘Cake’ showcases Jennifer Aniston at her best Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas 'Sniper' reveals the total cost of war Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Rose Circle volunteers help mentor children Eleanor's dog and the veil between worlds Buying a home? Consider its walkability Shayne Looper: ‘Unanswered’ prayers can challenge one’s faith Food for Thought: These healthy Super Bowl snacks are game-changers Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Students send heartfelt message to missing Ashland girl ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area looks for ways to diversify ... Our View: Whole lotta shakin' ... ... Students send heartfelt message to missing Ashland girl ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area looks for ways to diversify ... Our View: Whole lotta shakin' ... ... Movie review: 'Cake' showcases Jennifer Aniston at her best Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News By Ed Symkus More Content Now Why would anyone want to pay good money to see a movie about someone who is suffering, who is in misery? Does it make us feel better about our own lives? Is that what made things like “The Elephant Man” and “My Left Foot” and “The Theory of Everything” hits? There’s really no good philosophical answer to the question. Of those three films, the standout factor was a remarkable performance by the lead actor. In “Cake,” the same is true. We get a performance from Jennifer Aniston that probably no one but Aniston knew she was capable of. She plays Claire Bennett, a woman who is suffering, who is in misery, who is dealing with chronic pain due to an accident that’s never discussed in detail. It’s referred to as something in the past. When we meet Claire, she’s had pins in her legs for more than a year, and there’s been no improvement in her pain level for six months. This has made her frustrated, angry, antagonistic. She has no patience for others, even those in her chronic pain support group – a group that has been caught off guard by the suicide of one of its members, Nina. But Claire can’t get caught up in Nina’s decision to end her pain by jumping off a freeway overpass. She’s too busy dealing with her own problems. She can walk around but only slowly, and with a grimace. She has to keep her head straight and turn with her whole body. She’s addicted to pain killers, which only work for a little while. Her marriage has fallen apart. She has scars on her legs and face. She’s stopped caring about the way she looks, has turned all frumpy. Her nasty attitude, complete with salty language, is so bad she gets kicked out of the support group, by phone. Her relationship with her husband has gone so far south, he, too, uses the phone to leave a message for her: He wants to come by the house to pick up his stuff when she’s not home. Why would anyone want to see what sounds like such a bleak movie? For many reason, among them Aniston’s measured and sure portrayal of a woman going through such a rough time but never giving up; a terrific supporting role by Mexican actress Adrianna Barraza (“Amores Perros”) as her hardworking, long-suffering, endlessly patient housekeeper Sylvana; a series of cameos by Anna Kendrick (someone I never praise, but who deserves a gold star on her forehead this time) as Nina, who keeps making “ghostly” appearances; and the fact that although this is a sad, sad movie, it also contains bright lights of dark humor. There’s no straightforward story here. It’s more of a series of peeks at Claire’s worsening circumstances and never-changing condition. Moaning and sighing more than she speaks, Claire sometimes has to put up a positive front when dealing with others ... until she can’t anymore, as when she freaks out at one of her group sessions. She can be herself and even relax just a little when Sylvana is around, because Sylvana is so caring. She can completely relax, and even be pretty much free from pain, when she soothingly floats around in a swimming pool. A glimmer of a story does take shape when curiosity gets the best of her, and she sets out on a search to figure out why Nina gave up and went the suicide route. This involves Sylvana driving her around, while she lies down in the back of the car. A couple of the stops she makes are the overpass where Nina made her jump, and the home where Nina shared a life with her husband, Roy (Sam Worthington), who appears calm and quiet, but reveals himself to be bitter and to hate Nina for what she did to him/them. Claire wears pain all over her body; Roy wears it just on his face. The film gets odder as Nina’s “visits” with Claire, usually at inopportune moments, become more frequent and more bizarre. More and more layers of Claire’s poignant story are slowly and subtly revealed, and there’s not much doubt that before it’s over, before her droll sense of humor gets to bloom, before the title of the film is explained, you’ll get to like her. Ed Symkus covers movies for More Content Now. CAKE Written by Patrick Tobin; directed by Daniel Barnz With Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Chris Messina Rated R DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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