74
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireRogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireWatching it, the film’s intelligent, well-crafted story and beautifully drawn characters seem to suggest literary roots.
- 80Screen DailySarah WardScreen DailySarah WardThough the script rarely makes an unexpected choice, it’s the way that the film dissects its many underlying complications that matters more than eschewing predictability. Calmly, but filled with feeling, Graizer lets his protagonists’ actions and choices subvert the norm.
- 80VarietyGuy LodgeVarietyGuy LodgeTracing with exemplary sensitivity the unlikely bond formed between a gay German baker and the Jerusalem-based widow of the man they both loved, Graizer’s film works a complex range of social and religious tensions into its heartsore narrative, without ever feeling sanctimonious or button-pushing.
- 80The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisSad and sweet, and with a rare lyricism, The Cakemaker believes in a love that neither nationality, sexual orientation nor religious belief can deter.
- 80Village VoiceJordan HoffmanVillage VoiceJordan HoffmanThe Cakemaker is more of a petit four than a belly bomb, but it’s striking in its particularity.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranCulturally specific to its joint Berlin/Jerusalem setting but with themes that are universal, it joins an exploration of sexual fluidity and the nature of love and relationships with a strong plot that keeps you involved and guessing until the very end.
- 75Slant MagazineSlant MagazineThe film binds its narrative to fascinating explorations of national identity, sexuality, and, of course, food.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoSan Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoGraizer takes his time and never feels the need to spell everything out, and The Cakemaker is a testament to what filmmakers can achieve when they trust the audience.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijGraizer too often seems afraid to potentially offend anyone (but especially straight audiences along for the ride) and too polite to explore the darker recesses of grief, desire and sexuality.