Cake

After the captivating culinary romance of ‘This Lady Called Life’ in 2020, Nollywood presents Prosper Edesiri’s debut feature film, Cake.

Cake tells the story of Tomiwa, a young baker played by Tope Tedela. Tomiwa desires to find a wife to fulfill his late mother’s wish, believing his bakery will bring him love. He meets Chaly (Sophie Alakija), falls in love, but discovers she is engaged. The movie unfolds as Tomiwa tries to win her over with the perfect cake, leading to a series of comical attempts to win the heart of another man’s fiancée.

Cake is a family-friendly film exploring love through three characters with distinct perspectives. The storyline is straightforward, and the resolution is somewhat predictable. While it’s good, there’s room for improvement, particularly in character depth and performances, especially for Phillip. Lighting has some inconsistencies, but overall, the picture quality is satisfactory.

While it has moments of humor and a fitting soundtrack, Cake struggles with a thin and repetitive plot, a protagonist that’s hard to like, and a love interest who deserves more. Despite its flaws, the film, like its culinary-themed predecessor “This Lady Called Life,” by Kayode Kasum acknowledges food’s role in love. However, Cake falls short of satisfying all the necessary cravings, with a focus on unrequited love overshadowing the baking theme.

The film impresses with its set design, scenery, make-up, and wardrobe, showcasing excellent overall production value. Commendably, it establishes the lead character, Tomiwa’s needs and wants in the first ten minutes. However, the attempts to use his vow to his mother to get married, fall short in invoking the intended empathy.

One could argue that Cake undermines the essential elements of a rom-com, such as a likable main character, the romantic tension between leads, and the crucial balance between humor and romance.

One of the shortcomings of Cake lies in the repetitive plot, a common trap into which most contemporary Nollywood films often fall and are guilty of. The film’s storyline also presents similar or identical themes, events, or conflicts in a way that may feel predictable or lacking in variety, as certain elements in the narrative are reused or recycled, potentially diminishing the freshness and originality of the storytelling. This eventually leads to a sense of monotony or predictability for the audience, as they may feel they’ve encountered similar situations or developments before in the same story or in other films.

Cake is a bittersweet romantic comedy. In Cake, you’ll find a mix of funny and lighthearted moments. While there are happy and sweet parts, there are also sad moments that make the overall emotional tone more complex. Despite the comedy and laughter, the movie also touches on deeper and emotional themes, like obsession, which gives the romantic comedy a more nuanced feel.

This combination allows the audience to experience a range of emotions watching Cake, despite the fact that Tomiwa is not a loveable character, as he is rather perceived as annoying which made it more difficult to be invested emotionally in his journey. The acting and portrayal could have been improved, as there were moments in the movie that felt awkward, almost like the characters forgot their lines, but thanks to Folu Storms, who elevates the role of the unnoticed background lover, portraying the bright-eyed and optimistic Mfon character exceptionally well. Her performance is delightful, and her spunk will surely be appreciated by everyone.

Apart from Jimoh and Mfon, who share a love-hate rapport as co-workers, emotional distance prevails even among non-romantic peers. The character dynamics between Sophia Alakija and Philip Asaya, who are meant to be deeply in love, fall short. Asaya doesn’t meet the demands of his character, lacking in non-verbal communication and nuanced acting, while Sophia excels in her role, living up to expectations.

The movie is okay to watch and not necessarily super exciting, but it has some good parts. The soundtrack matches the scenes well and provides a mix of upbeat and warm tones. There are a few laughs, but the plot is thin and repetitive with a love triangle going in circles. The protagonist isn’t very likable, and the love interest deserves better. In the end, Cake doesn’t live up to expectations and struggles to find the right formula, much like its main character