Cake: A New Chapter in Jennifer Aniston's Career?

Jennifer Aniston, the actress, has never been taken as seriously as she deserves to be. Her work on "Friends", though highly regarded by fans of the show, was much more difficult than many seem to realize. And many regard her work in "The Good Girl" some beautifully nuanced work that was deserving, but ignored, of an Oscar nomination. Since the end of Friends, however, Aniston has been churning out a lot of pretty low-grade comedies, ones that make money, but none that either showcase her comedic talent or challenge audiences.

So when it was announced that Aniston had taken the role of Claire in Daniel Barnz's "Cake", her die-hard fans took notice, but the incredibly small size of the film kept it from being more than a blip on peoples' radars.. that is, until last year's Toronto Film Festival. Though reviews for the film were largely mixed, Aniston received a standing ovation following the film's screening. Since then, she has been promoting the hell out of the film, distributed by the very tiny Cinelou films, and has found herself to be the recipient of nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role from the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild and the Broadcast Film Critics. And on Thursday, she will probably be nominated by the Oscars alongside Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Jones and Rosamund Pike; her first career nomination.

Aniston's surge as one of the Best Actress 5 has been the Cinderella story of the awards season, one I was rather hesitant to buy into at first. Like others, her post-Friends roles have left a lot to be desired, and while I enjoyed her in The Good Girl, I had never seen anything Oscar-caliber from her. But last night, watching the Cake screener changed all of that. Yes, Aniston's fierce campaigning for the film is a large reason why she's going to find herself as an Oscar nominee come Thursday morning. You have to hand it to her, she's really working the circuit with about a dozen interviews and screenings a day. But the performance will shut up anyone who doubts her talent and versatility as a performer.

As Claire, Aniston tackles what is most definitely the most subtle, and nuanced performance by an actress I've seen this year, rivaled only by Reese Witherspoon in "Wild". Strange, given that so many star turns such as these are defined by lots of crying, and large histrionics. And yes, she does "de-glam" herself (no makeup, prosthetic scars, unwashed hair) but this is a shockingly low-key performance. It's increasingly evident from the first scene that this is work meticulously crafted and thought out by Aniston, and for that alone, she earns my vote. Claire is a woman suffering from chronic pain, and the memory of her dead son, both of which force her down a rabbit hole of depression, and an addiction to pain-killers. Aniston is totally committed, at every moment, making you feel this woman's pain, both physical and emotional. Ever present is that comic timing that's made her Rachel Green such a memorable character. But here, there's a lot of bruising humor that really highlights that this woman is truly at the end of her rope.

Even more outstanding, is her rapport with co-star Adriana Baranza, who was so good in "Babel". Here, she plays Silvana, Claire's housekeeper and only real friend. Baranza and Aniston have some really great chemistry, and watching them play off of one another makes the film that much more of a treat (no pun intended). If the film has a fault, it tries a little too hard to make Claire fall into the "raving bitch" troupe, when all we really want to do is let this woman know we forgive her for having such a tough exterior. But with a performance as good as Aniston's, it's an easy mistake to forgive.

Aniston has been very vocal in interviews talking about how thankful she is director Daniel Barnz took a chance on her, a chance not many directors have taken in the years since Friends. But now, I'm positive that she'll have a fresh pick of interesting, complex roles. Though she won't win the Oscar (this really is Julianne's year), Aniston will still win, I think this will be the role that will have people second-guessing their judgement of her abilities. Actresses have a much harder time than actors, in that they have to really prove themselves with each role, which is rather unfair. But boy, does Aniston really prove herself here.