Jennifer Aniston reinvigorates tired TIFF crowds at the Cake premiere

Just when you start to think the inevitable TIFF fatigue has gone airborne, Jennifer Aniston shows up. The actress walked the red carpet at the world premiere of Cake at the Elgin Theatre on Monday afternoon, and suddenly Yonge Street was once again full of shrieking fans, autograph hunters and scads of bewildered onlookers. The film, directed by Daniel Barnz, is about Aniston’s character, Claire, a woman who becomes obsessed with the suicide of a member of her chronic-pain support group, played by Anna Kendrick. Critics have praised Aniston’s performance, tossing around words like “fearless,” “breakthrough,” and “career-defining”—which suggests a departure from the box-office comedian we’ve seen in titles like Wanderlust or We’re the Millers. Despite the hubbub outside, Aniston, Kendrick and costar Sam Worthington made quick work of the carpet. They were shepherded inside along with Aniston’s fiancé, Justin Theroux. Introducing the film, Barnz organized a cheer from the roughly 1,500 viewers in attendance, for his daughter’s 13th birthday.