to report cinema trust Mohammad Yaraqi wrote in Etemad newspaper: Today I sat down to watch the movie “My Beloved Cake” by Behtash Sanaeiha and Maryam Moghadam. From the very beginning, the accurate and realistic depiction of the life of a lonely old woman, with all the details, confronts you with a work full of visual and human subtleties. “My Beloved Cake” is about a 70-year-old woman named Mahin, who tries to bring love and happiness back to her life after years of loneliness and losing her husband. Focusing on topics such as love in old age, loneliness and challenges caused by social and cultural restrictions in Iran, the film narrates a pleasant story in an emotional and human way.
The noteworthy point is that the filmmakers easily and without compliments depict the most natural details of communication and conversation between a man and a woman. The women in this film are without hijab at home and with hijab outside, but not the hijab we see in most movies. In fact, their hijab is portrayed as a common practice that exists in society and is seen as a choice, especially for older women.
Mahin faces challenges caused by traditions and social judgments, but he bravely tries to overcome these obstacles and recover his forgotten feelings. The female conversations that take place around the lunch table between the characters are designed in perfect harmony with the characterization of each of the characters. It is as if the filmmakers have known these women closely for years and have carefully observed their lives. The audience can relate well to each of these characters, both in terms of their appearance and their outlook on life.
The film proceeds with a slow rhythm and shows sequences of Mahin’s life without rushing; A woman who suppressed her feelings for years and tries her best to escape from loneliness and recover her heart. Throughout the film, there are references to the state of society that are very effective and memorable. However, one of the few weaknesses of the film is the Irshad patrol sequence. In this sequence, unlike other parts of the film, the games are a bit uneven and the dialogues do not go well with the beat of the song. It is obvious that making such a sequence has many challenges, and further, the dialogues between the young girl and the old woman are not in harmony with the overall atmosphere of the film. But the film soon returns to its original path.
The main old man of the story is portrayed for the first time as a real character and away from stereotypes. Sohrab Moharrami’s performance in this role is very detailed, calculated and impressive. Every dialogue and look he gives to the audience conveys more information about his personality and emotions to the viewer at the moment. The film sometimes makes the audience laugh, and this comedy-drama is caused by the difference in the views of the current generation and the previous generations. There are surprising moments in the film that will surprise you and this difference in viewpoints makes the experience of watching the film more enjoyable. Also, the frankness of the accent of the characters and dialogues will attract your attention and you will be deeply involved in the story. The film can be divided into three parts: loneliness, familiarity and interaction of the two main characters and the final shocking part. The filmmakers have literally excelled in the way they plant and harvest events.
If you watch the movie again, you will understand more about the small dialogues related to the end of the movie and this doubles the pleasure of watching the movie. Finally, “My Favorite Cake” by carefully paying attention to the characters that the filmmakers know well, brings you into a personal space of these people’s lives and their disabilities and suppressed feelings due to the traditional culture and society of Iran. Regardless of whether we see traditional culture as positive or negative, this film will introduce you to the life of elderly people alone in Iran; People who may have been with us for years, but now make you look at the people around you in a new way.