Jacob The Baker in the Spotlight: A Film Threat Review
Jacob the Baker, directed and co-written by Geb Miron, is based on the best-selling novel by co-writer and star Noah Bencia. Miron, Bencia, and co-author Wendy Couto begin this fable with a woman in deep sleep. A woman (Dara Emery) wakes up to a phone call from a producer. It turns out that this Fluff Piece reporter will be interviewing Noah Bencia (Bencia) about Jacob the Baker before his sold-out performance. The reporter apologizes for being late, but the tardiness does not faze the beloved author. As the interview gets underway, Noah recounts stories of how his fictional character has helped real people. The film cuts away to countries worldwide to follow these people as they search for the connections and meaning they long for. How do these anecdotes relate to the reporter’s hectic life? Is Noah Benshea as calm and wise as he first appears?
Jacob The Baker is basically a 76 minute conversation. This isn’t the most cinematic job, so Miron draws on the people Jacob worked with to demonstrate his understanding of camera movement, lighting, and the use of wide angles and close-ups. Globe hopping not only adds an epic dimension to the story, but also offers beautiful scenery. In Denmark (I think), the shot of the town square in front of the church is striking.
The script is also very good, although some moments are just too silly for their own good. The line that she is not a good mother because her mother pursues her own dreams and does not let her children’s dreams come true. But the exchange about whether Jacob, and therefore Noah, was religious is too complex to work. It’s great that so many faiths communicate the importance of kindness, but throughout the movie we just hear Noah/Jacob praying and talking to the monotheistic God of the Bible/Torah. Shiva, Miluk, Quetzalcoatl, Thoth, Odin, and many others are not mentioned, discussed, or considered. This directly contradicts what is said about Noah’s faith and how he viewed the faith of the people.
Still, Jacob the Baker works because of its cast. Bencia exudes warmth and kindness so the audience never doubts his authenticity. Emery plays off of her co-star well, balancing his optimism with real-world pragmatism that is cleverly broken down as the plot progresses. These two are excellent together and craft a natural bond.Jacob The Baker is an inspiring story about how having faith in people and just listening to their needs is enough to make a positive change. Emery and Benshea are brilliant, quickly revealing everything viewers need to know about their respective roles. The story structure and direction are spot-on as well. It’s too bad that the script isn’t as of the world as it thinks it is. But that’s a minor quibble overall.