Chocolate Cake

nova_merollis

seen at dances with films festival 2026 in new york. i loved this. there are so many ways to interpret dennis' motivations, and the ending, but here is mine: to me, this film was a study in putting pressure on yourself on someone else's behalf, and that someone else being a loved one's memory you're trying to honor. i have a really close relationship with my grandmother, and had an equally close one with her husband even though we were not related. he has passed, but the urge to do something to make him proud of me is something i will always carry. the picture of dennis' grandmother in his kitchen stood out to me so strongly, and the ending to me is incredibly,,, bittersweet. in the end, though he successfully achieved what he set out to do in honoring her and getting the job (had he still been around), the pressure was too much and he succumbed to it. i loved the cinematography of the final shots. the acting was phenominal. jaeden martell is a fantastic actor who brings exactly what is needed to every role he plays and is extremely versatile. it's also evident to me that he took baking lessons (even just beginner ones) for this because the technique is correct. all in all, great short film, great acting, great directing, great writing. i laughed a lot more than i thought i would.