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The Cakemaker

Play trailer 2:00 Poster for The Cakemaker Released Jun 29, 2018 1h 45m Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who has frequent business visits in Berlin. When Oren dies in a car crash in Israel, Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers regarding his death. Under a fabricated identity, Thomas infiltrates into the life of Anat, his lover's newly widowed wife, who owns a small café in downtown Jerusalem. Thomas starts to work for her and create German cakes and cookies that bring life into her café.
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The Cakemaker

The Cakemaker

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Critics Consensus

The Cakemaker explores all-consuming emotion with beguiling restraint, adding up to a delicately understated character study fueled by the power of love.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi The New Indian Express A beautiful, bittersweet tale... Oct 26, 2023 Full Review Leah Pickett Chicago Reader Natural performances from Kalkhof and Adler root the melodrama in genuine pathos. Aug 27, 2018 Full Review Scott Marks San Diego Reader Credit first-time writer/director Ofir Raul Graizer with pulling off something of a miracle. Rated: 4/5 Aug 23, 2018 Full Review Brian T. Carney Washington Blade Ofir Raul Grazier expertly guides an excellent cast through a thoughtful film that questions the labels that shape our lives. Dec 7, 2022 Full Review Ben Turner The Pink Lens At its heart is a love story that transcends countries, sexuality and life itself, but you'll just wish it got its skates on. Rated: 3/5 Sep 1, 2021 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills It is, in fact, a painfully lovely drama handled with very astute performances and superb directorial control-which is needed... Oct 15, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Daniel O A movie deserve to be realese in all movie theaters. Relly good. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/28/23 Full Review Audience Member (English Español) Rebuilding Oren Summary Remarkable film about the meeting of two mournings: that of the German lover of an Israeli engineer and that of his widow. Sober, subtle, intense and moving. Review: Thomas (Tim Kalkhof) is a pastry chef who runs his own café (Konditorei) in Berlin. He strikes up a relationship with Oren (Royal Miller), a married Israeli engineer with a daughter and they see each other every time Oren travels to Berlin. After a long absence from the latter, Thomas learns that his lover has passed away and decides to travel to Jerusalem to connect with his surroundings. The film by Ofir Raul Greizer slowly and subtly builds what constitutes a meeting of two mournings: that of Thomas, who seeks to recover (and rebuild) Oren through everything that was his life in Jerusalem and that of his widow Anat (Sarah Adler), who must move on to her newly opened cafe, where Thomas will end up working. The encounter between the two first makes one fear a perverse and even fetishistic plot on the part of Thomas, but the evolution of the story becomes deeper and more comprehensive, leading both characters to deep rethinking. Some normative religious questions also arise about this type of business and family members who are the custodians of this tradition. It is also - and nothing less - the meeting between a German and an Israeli. It is very interesting and moving to follow the transformations of both characters: a Thomas with his Germanic inscrutability and an enterprising Anat, perhaps the most interesting character, in a wonderful performance of Sarah Adler - a sort of Israeli Charlotte Gainsbourg - in a film that remembers for moments for its veiled intensity, to the also Israeli The Kindergarten Teacher. Reconstruyendo a Oren Sumario Notable película sobre el encuentro de dos duelos: el del amante alemán de un ingeniero israelí y el de su viuda. Sobria, sutil, intensa y conmovedora. Reseña: Thomas (Tim Kalkhof) es un repostero que maneja su propia cafetería (Konditorei) en Berlín. Entabla una relación con Oren (Royal Miller), un ingeniero israelí casado y con una hija y se ven cada vez que Oren viaja a Berlín. Luego de una larga ausencia de este último, Thomas se entera que su amante ha fallecido y decide viajar a Jerusalén para conectarse con su entorno. La película de Ofir Raul Greizer va construyendo lenta y sutilmente lo que constituye un encuentro de dos duelos: el de Thomas, que busca recuperar (y reconstruir) a Oren a través de todo lo que fuera su vida en Jerusalén y el de su viuda Anat (Sarah Adler), que debe seguir adelante con su recién abierto café, donde Thomas terminará trabajando. El encuentro entre ambos primero hace temer una trama perversa y hasta fetichista por parte de Thomas, pero la evolución de la historia se vuelve más profunda e integral, llevando a ambos personajes a profundos replanteos. También surgen algunas cuestiones religiosas normativas sobre ese tipo de comercios y familiares que se erigen en custodios de esa tradición. Se trata, además -y nada menos- del encuentro entre un alemán y una israelí. Resulta muy interesante y conmovedor seguir las transformaciones de ambos personajes: un Thomas con su inescrutabilidad germánica y una emprendedora Anat, acaso el personaje más interesante, en una interpretación maravillosa de Sarah Adler -una suerte de Charlotte Gainsbourg israelí- en una película que recuerda por momentos por su asordinada intensidad, a la también israelí La maestra de jardín. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member This is one hell of a character study. It is amazing directed, tremendously well-acted, and has a melancholic cinematography. I was very much moved by the two leads, both showcased a lot of emotions with just bare-minimum dialogues. Almost perfect to me! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is about breaking free. If you've ever experienced oppression or fear prepare for a miraculous release. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Subtle, beautifully sad and depressing story Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member A fantastic film with terrific acting by Tim Kalkhof and Sarah Adler, especially. The entire cast was wonderful as well. The character of Thomas is relatable, and the audience feels for him with what happens to him throughout the movie. It's a wonderful and refreshing story. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Cakemaker

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who has frequent business visits in Berlin. When Oren dies in a car crash in Israel, Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers regarding his death. Under a fabricated identity, Thomas infiltrates into the life of Anat, his lover's newly widowed wife, who owns a small café in downtown Jerusalem. Thomas starts to work for her and create German cakes and cookies that bring life into her café.
Director
Ofir Raul Graizer
Producer
Mathias Schwerbrock, Itai Tamir
Screenwriter
Ofir Raul Graizer
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Production Co
Film Base Berlin
Genre
Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 29, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 6, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$874.6K
Runtime
1h 45m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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