The Asim Abbasi directed Cake premiered in Pakistan to a host of anticipating fans and critics. The movie stars Sanam Saeed, Aamina Sheikh, Adnan Malik, Mohammad Ahmed and Beo Raana Zafar. Just from a look at the trailer, the movie had gained a lot of interested movie-lovers who could not wait to see a movie that seemed so different than what Pakistanis are used to seeing.

The film is about an average family that is dysfunctional only as much as any other family. In the beginning it may seem like the movie is about Saeed’s character Zara, and essentially it is, but the movie tells the story of all these characters as individuals and as a family unit. Every person has their own baggage and so is the case with everyone in this movie.

The acting and cinematography as well as the background score transport us to the world of Cake and we feel like we are not merely watching a movie but immersed in the story as a part of it. The phenomenal script tackled a realistic, Pakistani family and its problems which is a far cry from what Pakistani cinema is known for. The characters are bold, flawed, sweet, and simply human.

The estranged sister, Zara, comes back to her family when the father gets sick and the family is forced to face issues they thought they had left behind. Zareen, played beautifully by Aamina Sheikh, has been taking care of everyone since Zara left and it is safe to say the sisters have a rocky start when she comes back. We learn about the mysterious reasons for which Zara even left the country.

The movie takes you on a journey with the family and asks you to look inside yourself. You can never really know how precious your family is, not until you have been distant with them for a long time. No matter how flawed, imperfect or silly, family is family. That is the message we took away from the movie. Everyone is human and makes mistakes, but that is when you realize who your real supporters are. Family always stands by you no matter what and that is what they portrayed here.

It was evident that Abbasi’s direction was superb because the actors were so deeply embedded in their characters and their stories that there did not seem to be a line. You were forced to relate with the characters and find nuances that you could see inside yourself. It left us feeling like we had taken an adventure and wanting to hug our family members at the same time. We give it a 3.5 rating out of 5.