The Cakemaker (2017) User Reviews

Strong 4 // Quietly powerful

[ccamp89 · 8/10 · 25 August 2018]

The Cakemaker is melodrama fodder. A married man, a young son, a gay affair, death, deceit, revelation - the setup has all the trappings of a trite lifetime movie. It's not though, far from it. Instead, it's one of the quietest and most delicate films I've seen this year. It trades dramatic fireworks for quiet rumination, diving deep into the psychology of grief rather than indulging in scandal. The performances are beautifully restrained, the dramatic weight carried on the slightest of expressions. Character motivations are left largely unarticulated, challenging the viewer to empathize and draw their own conclusions as to their thoughts and feelings. The languid pacing may be patience-testing for some, but I found myself comforted and calmed by the stillness of the film. The drama is quite layered as well with cultural, social, and religious themes impressing upon the core triangular relationship. Perhaps what I admire most about the film though is the broad, non-judgmental way in which it depicts love and loss, unbound by social and cultural divides. A beautiful, honest, and melancholic piece.

Strong 4/5

Not a love story, but a story about love

[haostuartsu · 8/10 · 30 November 2018]

This is a story of a man and a woman who both are in love with the same person and the grief of the loss of their love. It is not a love story, but a story about love.

In love, we complete ourselves with someone else, we find the missing part of ourselves, we find where we belong when two become one. Then, how about losing the love we found? We feel a part of ourselves is lost, we are no longer completed and the place where we belong is gone. So, we start the searching again and that was what Thomas did.

He was searching it from someone who was long gone and will never return; so, what he did was traveling back in time, back in space, to live a life as Oren ever lived; by doing so, he can feel close to Oren again, he can grief his lost. He went to the swimming pool where Oren used to go, he ware the swimming short which Oren used to wear, he went to meet Oren's family, he even worked at the cafe together with Oren's wife. Did he find what he was looking for? Yes, he did, but not from shifting into Oren's life; from the moment Oren's mother invited him to the house, to the bedroom where Oren used to sleep, his healing starts by being accepted through the love of Oren's family. Could he tell the truth? How could he? It is love between two men, it is a country with strong religion restrict, it is two nations with too much unbearable history.

He is not the only person missing Oren and in hurt, Sarah too, but she couldn't grief her lost; Oren dies the night when she was told he is leaving her for someone else. That night, she lost him both in marriage and real life. After she hired Thomas at her cafe, she fell in love with the cake Thomas makes, just like how her husband did, also, just like how her husband did, she fell in love with him, too. So then, both of them, Thomas and Sarah, started to live a life as how Oren lived.

When the truth came out, it was the first time we saw both of them cried out loud; The truth is shocking and the tears are the first sign of recovering. They both couldn't hold it anymore, they crushed, in order to stand up again. Thomas's journey was completed, he returned to where he is from; Sarah, in the last scene of the film, we saw her in front of Thomas's cake shop, just like how Thomas was in front of her cafe at the first time.

It is not a love story, but a story about love, how love hurts, but also how love heals us.

Elegaic film: "I'm not alone"

[evening1 · 8/10 · 26 May 2019]

A quietly beautiful film about having the courage to follow one's bliss.

Oren (Roy Miller), an Israeli who makes monthly business trips to Berlin, tells the counter man at his favorite bakery (Tim Kalkhof, playing Thomas) that Kredenz ("Cupboard") is the first place he visits every time he makes a trip to the city.

From there a hushed series of visits follows, during which the married Israeli and his baker lover enjoy a relationship that builds toward love. From the start, it seems that Thomas is the more vulnerable, seeking sustained connection. Oren is more elusive, saying he'd never abandon his wife, Anat (Sarah Adler).

This film is exceptionally well-cast, with excellent performances throughout. Kalkhof in particular impresses; a sensitive intelligence shines through his every scene as he conveys depth of feeling and thought. An unmade-up Ms. Adler also turns in an exceptional portrayal as she evolves from a harried working mother in mourning into a woman who wants soulfully to connect.

I found the bravery in this film to be inspiring. How incredible that Oren, after sharing his enthusiasm for Kredenz's Black Forest Cake, asks Thomas -- "a real Berliner" -- to help him find a gift for his son! And how powerful to witness Thomas follow his own yearnings to Jerusalem, where he orders breakfast at Anat's coffee shop, and, showing his own chutzpah, asks for a job. Female viewers may feel the greatest bravery is shown by Anat when she initiates affection with seeming workaholic Thomas, in a truly stunning sequence.

Along the way we see some of the beauty, as well as discomfiting aspects, of life in the Israeli capital, from winsome street scenes to the mistrust that may exist of people from the country that promulgated the Holocaust. Along the way we also learn about some Israeli foods, including bourekas (I've already printed out a recipe to try!)..

This is a very poignant film that handles the seemingly rarely examined realm of bisexuality.

My only quibble is with the movie's ambiguity toward its conclusion. It's unclear why Anat loses the important kashruth certification at her cafe. And there is murkiness surrounding the crumbled lists of cake ingredients that Anat examines at least twice -- why?

It's not entirely surprising to witness Anat in Berlin -- I haven't seen that towering golden angel statue since "Wings of Desire" -- in the movie's final frame. One imagines that her supportive mother-in-law is watching over her son. And one wishes this doughty woman well!

Beautiful but illogical

[chong_an · 6/10 · 8 May 2018]

There are beautiful shots of Jerusalem, including the call to Shabbat, and Berlin. Indoor scenes are dressed simply but effectively. But ... Oren, who travels frequently to Berlin on business, tells his wife Anat he is having an affair and is leaving her. But as he moves out to a hotel, he is killed in a car accident. Soon after, a mysterious German (Thomas) shows up at Anat's Jerusalem café, becoming a regular customer while asking for a job. As Anat also juggles with 7-year-old son Itai, Thomas is hired as a dishwasher, but he manages to start baking, and the café soon becomes famous for it, even if it loses its kosher designation and some of its customers. As Anat seduces a willing Thomas in the kitchen, Hanna (who seems to be Oren's mother) invites Thomas to see "his room". Is there a degree of willful blindness going on? The most glaring illogical point is the "damming evidence" in unheard, unanswered calls on Oren's phone. Another is Thomas insisting on getting Anat to knead dough, when she could have been delegated easier tasks like cutting and chopping (she earlier teaches Thomas to core peppers for stuffing). And while scenes with Oren shows Thomas being straight-curious, does that really end in his willing participation in intimacy with Anat?

German baker and his Jewish lover's widow fall in love.

[maurice_yacowar · 10/10 · 30 June 2018]

The film opens and closes on images of Thomas's poignant mix of solitude and passion. In the first he's kneading his dough - that's the activity in which he finds both his self-realization and his antidote to loneliness. At the end he rides his bike away from his Berlin bakery job. He's going home - as usual, he thinks - alone, but still warmed by the memory of his beloved Oren and Anat. But he's not alone. Anat has tracked him down. She glows with anticipation of their reconnecting. The last image - the clouded skies - signify their challenging but promising future. The film stops before we know if and how they will recover their love. We may guess as we prefer. Thomas doesn't lock the front door when he leaves that cafe then. Maybe it locks itself upon closing. Or his leaving it unlocked may signify his openness to Anat's return to his love. This film's metaphors work that naturally, like Anat's radiance at eating Thomas's cakes and bread - that's love at first bite. So too the sensuality of Thomas's baking, the comforting softness in his colour, fleshiness and overall nature. Here love is not romance but an openness to emotions and to life. This film abounds with scenes of such quiet suggestions, revelations, nuances in relationship. In the first scene the two men are already familiar with each other - Thomas remembers what pastry Oren doesn't like. Arriving in Jerusalem, Thomas's isolation is caught in one shot where he's shrunk to the lower right of the screen, passed by two gesticulating orthodox Jews. The framing and extras define him as alien. In the shower room at Oren's club Thomas looks at a handsome Jew, then down at his - we infer - uncut alternative. After stealing a smoke outside after her shabbes dinner, we see Anat boxed in the window frame luxuriating in the verboten last crumbs of his Black Forest Cake. She licks her plate. That frame evokes the religious restriction Moti imposes that she must transcend to find fulfilment with Thomas - as, too, her later discovery that her present lover was her husband's first. Wordlessly Thomas warms Anat's runaway son, then involves him in icing the cookies. As with Anat, Thomas slips into an easy bond with the boy, despite his uncle Moti's impediments. In scene after scene the import is in a glance, a gesture, hardly ever verbalized. Thomas (and we) never learn how Oren's mother twigged to his affair with her son. We just see her immediate warmth towards him, her generosity, and her tacit knowing. That understanding lies beyond Anat's brother Moti, whose initial disdain for "the German" takes cover under the formal strictures of the kosher. in his shares invitation. Moti makes an effort to accept Thomas - as in his shabbes invitation. But Oren's mother and son are instinctively drawn to Thomas - as is Anat. In their first sexual engagement Anat takes the initiative. Thomas's intention has only been to help her. The passion is unexpected. Perhaps the key to the film's conception of love lies in the scenes where Thomas asks Oren to describe his most recent love-making with Anat. Initially we might read the scenes as simply erotic. But the context gives them rather more depth and characterization. There is no jealousy, no bitterness. Rather Thomas's embrace of Oren is so complete that it can include the other objects of Oren's love, his wife and his son. When Thomas makes love to Anat later it is with the memory, gestures and emotion he recalls from Oren. Here is a film where love might conquer all. Hence all the divisions that are set up - German vs Jew, Berlin vs Jerusalem, bereaved Insider family vs embarrassing Outsider rival, gentile vs Jew, wife vs lover, heterosexual vs homosexual love, etc. Thomas's and Anat's love for Oren make their falling in love with each other seem entirely credible - however unconventional. How many lovers discover they have any such strong bond in common? Oren's mother loved him enough to accept his lover Thomas; so Anat apparently grows to, too. But that acceptance too takes faith. Maybe that's why Thomas's cafe is called Credence. You have to believe.

the grace

[Kirpianuscus · 16 June 2018]

A magnificent film. for the precise manner to build the emotions. for the art of detail. for impeccable performances. for gestures, silence and the breath of words. a film mixing in splendid manner the grace, the sensitivity, the clash of civilisations and the love stories. a graceful film. like the taste of a slice of Black Forest cake or the taste of cinnamon cookies. for me it was a revelation. because it is more than a good/beautiful film. it is more than a complex and almost mystic love story. it is more than a masterpiece. it is exactly the film who you need it.Sarah Adler , givind the salted gestures, words and emotions of her character. Tim Kalkhof creating a character of Romanticism in pure sense. the cooking becoming sensual and magic. all being absolutely perfect. delicate. convincing. and the package for the best gift. short, a graceful film.

Could have been interesting, but instead over-long and "meh"

[dallas_viewer · 6/10 · 11 November 2018]

***TOTAL SPOILERS AHEAD***

I think the premise of this movie was supposed to be: A married man dies, and his male German lover, seeking to remain close to his beloved, spends time with the dead man's wife and young son. He even goes so far, when seduced by the wife, as to have sex with her, and in the manner that the dead husband had once described to him. But everything is shattered when the wife learns who the German is: the lover of her late husband, who had been about move to Berlin "to be with someone else".

That could have been an interesting story. What is the impact of losing someone you love deeply and can't forget, so that you take extreme measures to feel "connected" to that person again? What is the impact of betrayal by a seeming new friend and love interest? How do the two impacted parties reconcile all that has happened?

But unfortunately, that is not the story we got, IMO.

Instead, a married businessman--an Israeli who spends time regularly in Berlin--dies, and his male German lover goes to Israel to seek out the dead man's wife, though his motivations are murky, which by the way is a characteristic of this movie. Murkiness. Lack of clarity as to what motivates the characters and why they do or say certain things. So I just assume the German, a baker named Thomas, wants to see where his beloved used to live, see the wife and son he sometimes talked about, and feel connected to the man he loved and still misses. But you'll have to assume that for yourself, since the movie is not going to tell you.

Thomas ends up working in the wife's new cafe, and they eventually have a rather uninspiring sexual encounter. While Thomas does think about the dead husband during the act, it's not clear if he really enjoys the encounter or if it is cathartic for him in any way. This could have been a great opportunity for us to see Thomas struggle as he asks himself "Do I really want to go this far to stay connected to my beloved? Is this who I really am?" Instead, the encounter is just another event that comes and goes, with no real character development attached to it.

(Oh, and for some reason, during this time period, the cafe's "certified Kosher" designation is take away, even though the wife is taking pains to do nothing that would put the cafe at such risk, from what I see. But that story line seems to go nowhere and I cannot explain its significance, other than maybe it was just a plot device to ratchet up the tension.)

The wife subsequently finds out that the person her husband was going to leave her for--yes, we learn that he was going to leave her for someone else, had it not been for the fatal car accident--is this very man!

Thomas is told that she wants nothing more to do with him, so he heads back to Berlin and his bakery. In the closing shots, it is three months later, and the wife goes to Berlin to see the bakery. She arrives in time to watch Thomas bike away. A small smile appears on her face. End of movie. Whatever.

What was the point of this movie? Did we truly explore the impact the husband/lover's death had had on these people?

No. Instead, what we mainly have are a lot of extended shots/poses of characters looking off in a soulful, or bemused, or thoughtful, or sad, or other inscrutable manner. Or shots of dough being kneaded, cookies being decorated, etc. For long stretches of time. So long that I barely made it past the 40-minute mark in this film, but thanks to fast forwarding, I was able to increase the pace of the film to an acceptable level. Judicious editing would have shaved off 15 minutes and improved the pacing.

Anyway, I think these "tableaux" were supposed to take the place of actual story or character development. God forbid the director should tell us what these characters are actually thinking and what they are really feeling and whether they are experiencing any struggle or turmoil. In large part, it is left to us to intuit their thoughts and motivations.

The only really compelling scene for me was the one where Thomas overwhelmed by all that has happened, has an emotional breakdown. That was well done. But we were cheated out of the inevitable and much-needed confrontation between Thomas and the wife.

To sum up, I just don't think this film went anywhere interesting. We don't learn much about these people, and we never quite understand their motivations. (Case in point: the dead man's mother-in law.) So at the end I just shrugged my shoulders and moved on.

Really good

[maurodc · 10/10 · 15 July 2018]

This is the first jewish film I've seen, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by it. It is very well crafted, acted, directed and written.

Altough sometimes it is quite slow, the script is very good, melancholic and above all, real. The main confflict shows us kind of a love triangle that we have never seen before; a situation that is so strong that when you start thinking about it during the end credits of the movie, it's like "God, how the hell could this even happen at all?"

One of the things I liked the most about this film was the soundtrack. It is simple and beautiful and it always entered at the right time, giving it a more dramatic atmosphere during the scene. This, along with the excellent photography, made a great combination that makes you feel what the characters feel thanks to the very personal shots it has.

And obviously, the acting doesn't stay behind. The performances by the main protagonists were great and truly convincing; I liked a lot the job of the main protagonist, there was even a moment at the movie were I thought that his performance didn't look as a performance anymore. It looked as if he was living it rather than acting it. And that is something that every actor must do all the time.

Overall, it is totally worth to watch if you're someone that appreciates stories that make you think and engage with them from beggining to end.

Thanks for reading!

Great movie about grief and love with an atypical storytelling

[willeasyer · 7/10 · 20 November 2018]

This was a nice experience, a nice movie that tackles grief and lamentation, packed with a complex story. the First hour of the movie didn't really get me in; I was wondering what's pushing a guy such as Thomas to keep seeing this Oren(a closeted guy) who doesn't really care about him ( it's not a call ma by your name type of romance), and you wonder why he's so touched by his death even more than his wife..... and the hour pass by and you get these flashbacks of Thomas with Oren with this scene where they're both on the table and Oren was reading a prayer while Thomas was staring at him like a kid starring at a candy store, or when Oren shows him the picture of his son, however, the scene that made all the dots connect and made me understand this character and feel the bond he had with Oren is when the wife tells Thomas the decision Oren was going to take before his death, and you realize what Oren was going to risk and leave behind for Thomas then all those flashbacks made sense and I was heartbroken and still am I really shed a tear. it's an atypical way to tell a story, which makes its impact is very deep and beautiful. great heartwarming and heartbreaking film at the same time

Israeli character study and relationship drama shines throughout

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 18 August 2018]

"The Cakemaker" (2017 release from Israel; 104 min.) brings the story of Thomas, a cakemaker in Berlin whose Kredenz Cafe and Bakery is frequented by Oren, an Israeli guy often in Berlin on business. Even though Oren has a wife (Anat) and young son in Jerusalem, Thomas and Oren start an affair. We then go to "One Year Later", and apparently Thomas and Oren live together when Oren comes to Berlin. Then one day, after Oren leaves for Israel, he no longer returns Thomas' calls, and to his horror, Thomas finds out that Oren was killed in an accident. Wanting to find out more, Thomas decides to go to Jerusalem and contact Anat (without revealing to her who he is). At this point we're 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: the movie is written and directed by Ofir Raul Grazier. I can't say that I am familiar with his prior work. But I do know this: "The Cakemaker" is one of the best movies I have seen this year. Given the plot-heavy nature of the movie (the key question being: will Thomas reveal to Anat who he really is or will he be found out about?), I am not going to say much more. Well-known and respected French-Israeli actress Sarah Adler is outstanding as the grieving widow. German actor Tim Kalkhof plays Thomas, and does fine. As it turns out, this is a bit of a foodie movie too, featuring German cakes and pastries (I'll have another slice of Black Forest Cake any day!).

"The Cakemaker" premiered on the film festival circuit in the summer of 2017, and has won near-unanimous critical acclaim. Indeed, "The Cakemaker" is one of those rare movies that is certified 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. "The Cakemaker" opened at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati this weekend, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay, but just okay (about 15-20 people). If you have any interest in a top notch foreign movie with fully developed characters and with a touch of foodie stuff sprinkled in, I'd readily suggest you check out in the theater (if you get a chance), on VOD (more likely) or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion. For me, "The Cakemaker" is a WINNER all the way.

Well-crafted film spoiled by absurd ending

[B24 · 7/10 · 9 December 2018]

No need to reprise the plot. It has already been told to death from a number of different points of view. It deserves a high rating for the first hour and half and a big question mark for the remainder. It is somewhat reminiscent of an Italian film fro 2001 called Le Fate Ignoranti, in which an apparently straight married man falls in love with another man and is later killed in a car accident, leaving his wife emotionally bereft. The surviving wife in this film, unlike the one in the earlier situation who immediately begins to track down her husband's boyfriend, passively allows the husband's lover into her life in a series of totally implausible events that end mysteriously in a return to the status quo ante. I disagree with those reviewers who accept the last few scenes of this film as a potential fulfillment of an actual love affair between the wife and the boyfriend. The cathartic moment using flashbacks after the critical reveal shows instead the wife laughing almost comically following a clumsy attempt at lovemaking in the kitchen, reinforced by her likely telling her brother-in-law to kick the poor German schmuck out of the country. Her own trip to Berlin in the final scenes represent her victory lap as a spurned Israeli woman who has overcome all her self-doubts. Heavy irony informs her views of ruined parts of the city and the Siegesallee. The cakemaker is left to pedal his little bicycle back home. The earlier Italian movie has basically the same ending with the wife victorious.

Exquisite film.

[zippnmurphy · 10/10 · 6 December 2018]

Tim Kalkhof's performance is breathtaking. Sarah Adler is simply sublime. A truly unique story of love unlike any other.

He loved him, but does he love her?

[ilovesaturdays · 7/10 · 2 November 2020]

While not very heavy on the script, this is a very well made movie. I wish the screenplay was a bit better because just about everything else is quite good. What was particularly disappointing to me was the fact that Thomas's thought process wasn't depicted at all in any way. The viewers were shut out from the protagonist's mind. Though this tactic may work for some movies, it didn't work very well here. This problem was particularly glaring because Thomas's reason for going to Israel & his feelings for his lover's wife were quite ambiguous. Was he just using her to get some closure or did he genuinely feel affection for her? His treatment of her was shabby at best.

One can't help but wish that Anat was a stronger character. At one point, I felt sorry for her because the man who had replaced her in her husband's affections had entered her life without having the decency to come clean! In such a situation, anyone would feel used. She sure had the right to be in the know! Imagine her confusion when she realized that the man she had slept with was her husband's lover! Even worse, she couldn't have known whether Thomas became intimate with her because he wanted her or her dead husband (who by the way had decided to leave her for Thomas)! And even after all that she spends so much money to go visit Thomas in Germany when she's clearly struggling financially. I so wish she was a bit more gutsy & didn't indulge in so much self-sabotage.

Also, what was the deal with the cafe losing its Kosher status?

However, its deficiencies aside, the clever use of irony wherein both the protagonists end up being responsible for the other one losing the love of their life wasn't lost to this reviewer.

Engaging, but really unsatisfying - so many unanswered questions.

[yaadpyar · 4/10 · 18 May 2019]

No plot points here - plenty of other reviewers have that covered. I loved the Israeli character of the film with so much of Jerusalem life in focus, and it kept me watching until the end...that, and the hope that something would finally come together in terms of story or character development. But it doesn't come together. Watching this, I often felt I was seeing an actors studio of acting exercises, like how to go from laughter to tears, or how to show sorrow with just your eyes. But it felt too forced. Oren tells Thomas he will never leave his family, family is everything, and then we find out that Oren is killed in an accident after he tells his wife he's leaving her and moving to Germany. But Oren doesn't tell his German lover of his plans, that he's leaving his wife?!? Thomas goes to Israel for...? To see his dead lover's life in person? Why doesn't he go with a box of cinnamon cookies a tell her he was a close friend of Oren's instead of silently inserting himself into their lives? Why does Oren's mother decide to take Thomas under her wing? Why does she ask him if he wants to see Oren's room? How/why in the world does Motti get Thomas a GORGEOUS downtown apartment at an affordable rate?!? How can Thomas afford to leave work behind and to to Israel for an indeterminate amount of time? I wouldn't care if the movie had grounded something, connecting plot and character and giving me, the viewer, some perspective through which to understand why anyone is doing what they do. Why does Thomas, a gay man in love with Oren, then sleep with his dead lovers wife? What are we supposed to understand from this? And why is everyone ok with Thomas never talking, never saying anything, never engaging, never asking questions or offering answers. What is the religious undertone here about Anat's conflict with the Kashrut authorities and her brother? It feels thrown in, and I find it interesting, but it's another undeveloped tangent. And why does Anat go to Berlin just to watch Thomas ride away on his bike? So much potential. So many unanswered questions.

Bad copy

[perfection1st · 6 October 2020]

Well, if I was interested in seeing a remake of the " Le fate ignoranti (2001)", I would search for an original one... Sorry guys!!!

One of the top five gay films ever

[etiennestories · 10/10 · 11 December 2018]

This movie is so well done, I don't know where to start. The photography is great. The pacing will be a little slow for some people, but I thought it worked perfectly. In fact, the look and feel of the film reminded me of "Call Me By Your Name", which also ranks in my top five. Some reviewers have tried to say that this is a bisexual film, but they are wrong. Men find themselves pushed into marriage for any number of reasons, and stay there for a while because they find themselves trapped. That doesn't make them bisexual. Not at all. And some reviewers have complained that the ending is ambiguous, but I disagree. You have only to look at the smile on Anat's face in the final shot as she watches Thomas pedal off on his bicycle, and you know exactly why she came to Berliin.

Beautifully told romance satisfies on almost every level

[davidvmcgillivray-24-905811 · 9/10 · 9 October 2017]

This first feature from Israeli director Ofir Raul Graizer has been picking up prizes around the world. It's easy to see why. The story of a young German pastry chef who makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and inveigles his way into the life of his male lover's widow without revealing his identity is beautifully told and although tragic ultimately satisfying. At the London Film Festival, where the film was nominated for the Sutherland prize, Graizer revealed that he developed the story from one he'd heard. Each scene is simply but expertly shot and the overall effect is profoundly moving. The Israeli cast, particularly Sarah Adler as the widow, is as good as we've come to expect from this country's actors; but Tim Kalkhof as the boy - quiet melancholy masking a huge depth of emotion - is superb. An award for this role must be on the cards.The couple's sex scene in a kitchen, covered in only two takes, is electrifying. Along the way Graizer also deals with the mysteries of kosher rituals, while the food preparation becomes almost hypnotic. One expects the impossible situation that develops to be unresolvable and for the film to stop abruptly. But there is a suggestion of a happy ending. The characters are so well drawn that this is a film that will stay with you long after the final fade.

amazing movie

[Emily584 · 10/10 · 15 October 2017]

I have just watched this movie today as part of London Film Festival. I loved it. It has such an incredible depth. Acting was amazing. It brought tears to my eyes, still I tremendously enjoyed it. Storytelling, depth of characters, score, locations everything beautifully fit with each other. I can't believe this is the first movie of the director. I am already a big fan and will look for more of his films in the future.

Kalkhof

[gas_natural · 8/10 · 6 December 2020]

Tim Kalkhof is such a great actor. Just by looking at his look and the expression on his face you can understand his deep feelings. Excellent movie.

Could have been great!

[qui_j · 3/10 · 25 December 2018]

This movie really could have been a winner but was spoiled by poor acting and many illogical, disconnected steps that had the viewer constantly questioning the character's actions and decisions. The acting is also stilted and wooden, and seems to shy away from any overtly sexual scenes that would have lent greater credibility to the story and the relationship between the two men. The constant use of close ups of faces, eyes, and numerous vacant stares by the lead actor just became tedious after a while, and dragged out a premise that could have been told in 30 minutes. There is little in the way of logic or depth to this movie and it comes across as more of an "art film" than focusing on really telling a meaningful story. Overall, it's a really pointless film that appears to have been produced to satisfy a self indulgent need to make one rather than telling a story.

One of the best films I saw in 2018

[lazygafiltafish · 8/10 · 21 July 2018]

First I want to say I was a bit nervous going to watch it because I am uncomfortable with gay sex scenes (there's 2 very brief scenes...wasn't too bad).

The story is beautifully told and you do forget that Thomas is fully aware that Oren is married, that Oren is cheating on his wife, and that Thomas basically lied to Oren's family about who he is (although it appeared that maybe Oren's mother knew who Thomas was when no one else did which I wish they showed more of).

The last 10 minutes could be interpreted in a few ways: 1. Oren is upset and sadden that he was discovered since he ended up falling in love with the widow (I don't think this is it) 2. Oren is upset and sadden that he was discovered since he felt for the first time to be a part of a family 3. Oren is upset and sadden that he was discovered since being with Oren's widow, family, and city made him feel like Oren was still alive (this is what I think he was feeling)

In any case it ends with Oren's widow traveling to Berlin seeing Thomas leaving the bakery (he doesn't see her). This could imply different things such as: 1. She simply wanted to see where her husband's secret life originated from 2. She wanted to speak to Thomas 3. She just wanted cake (I LOLed in the theater when an elderly man said that loudly to his wife...he said something like "Well, maybe she just missed his cake!")

Oren is frequently seen in flashbacks however you learn more about him upon his death...Thomas goes to his locker at the gym and finds condoms (could imply Oren was having an affair with someone in Israel or that he just hid his condoms in there before he sees Thomas), swim shorts, and a towel in it...Oren loved or deeply cared for Thomas as his widow finds a box with every receipt that Oren saved from his outings with Thomas, along with lists in Thomas's writing...Oren was going to leave his wife and son to be with Thomas (according to his widow), or maybe Oren had someone else in Germany?

This is also one of those movies where one simple thing would have completely changed the outcome...Oren could have just left the box of his secret life in the gym locker as his identity wasn't discovered until Oren's widow found Oren's secret phone and heard Thomas's messages (that's another thing...Oren could have password protected his phone or voicemail!).In any case the character of Oren was truly a fascinating character to learn more about based on what he left behind.

I also found myself sympathizing with Thomas despite him knowingly having an affair with a married man, and basically lying to Oren's family about his identity and why he was there. There was something truly sad about him and his life in the sense that baking and Oren was his life and that later baking and being a part of Oren's family gave him life through Oren's actual life.

Sad and Lovely

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 16 January 2019]

"The Cakemaker" is a gentle, sad film about a young German man who becomes infatuated with his deceased male lover and travels to Israel to be close to the lover's widow and child. He gets a job at a cafe run by the widow and the two of them strike up an uneasy romance of sorts -- both of them use the other as a proxy for the man who's no longer in either of their lives. Within this complicated emotional scenario, the film explores themes of cultural and religious prejudice and intolerance -- the German man has to overcome animosity and assumptions made about him by some of the Israeli characters while the widow has to contend with a different sort of prejudice because she's not religious and isn't "kosher" enough for some.

It's a very quiet and thoughtful film, and I really enjoyed its gentle rhythms. It's very much about grief and the human instinct to find people and things to keep alive the memories of those we've lost.

Grade: A-

Probably the best German movie of the year

[FilmFlowCritics · 8/10 · 21 November 2017]

This movie creates a really gripping and innovative story that will cause goosebumps all over your body.

The main plot is simple but still unique. The director takes us along into a foreign country where we feel as isolated as the lead character is. Getting this vibe across to audiences is such a hard thing to do. You really feel like you are there in Jerusalem, having this rough time and you feel empty, lost, sad and depressed. On the other hand, all the positive moments in that movie actually bring joy to yourself as well. The movie is in German, English and Hebrew, so it's extremely authentic in its core. You have to decide for yourself how you feel about the ending, because I thing that could have been done a little bit better, but again.... it transfers all these complex emotions to you and Tim Kalkhof can just express without any words needed, what pain is.

A difficult topic, that you will most certainly remember.

Who needs characters?

[Nozz · 8/10 · 23 January 2018]

Here we have a beautiful movie about a woman who apparently has given up religious observance (why?) and opened a cafe although she's not particularly good in the kitchen (why?) and a couple of men who fall in love with each other (why?) but although they're extremely underwritten characters, you don't notice because you're carried along by the pacing and the photography and the architecture and the music and some nice cakes and cookies. ("What cafe would serve such a big slice of cake?" my wife says.) It doesn't hurt that the actors are well chosen, including one of Israel's top actresses, Sara Adler, who seems to specialize in strong but quietly uncertain women. Any movie featuring her is worth seeing, even if there isn't much else to it (as in, for example, 2012's "Aya").

Utter and complete tripe. Avoid at all costs.

[syncereblakman · 1/10 · 16 July 2018]

What begins as a sincere look at gay romance quickly becomes a film about stalking and culminates in one of the main characters (gay man) having graphic sex with a heterosexual woman. It is shallow and pretentious and long and has no point or purpose. It's devstatingly dull with too many pieces not even connecting or making logical connections. I am truly shocked at the high rating. Please avoid this movie at all costs.