Bakery in Brooklyn (2016) User Reviews

Couldn't Connect With the Characters Here

[larrys3 · 4/10 · 21 March 2017]

This romantic comedy is probably more of a fantasy tale than anything else. There were a few chuckles and some sweet moments along the way, but, unfortunately, I found most of the film to be quite unfunny even annoying at times.

Two cousins Vivien and Chloe, Aimee Teegarden and Krysta Rodriguez respectively, lost their parents on the same day in an accident, and were taken in by their Aunt Isabelle, who owns a long established bakery in Brooklyn. However, when Isabelle suddenly passes and leaves the shop to her two nieces, she also leaves a huge debt load to the bank, who is looking to foreclose on the property asap. Thus, Vivien and Chloe will race against time to find a way of keeping the bakery afloat.

There's actually a large ensemble cast here, whose characters all intersect with each other throughout the movie. The film was directed by Gustavo Ron, who also co-wrote the script with Paco Zegers.

Overall, as mentioned, there are some moments to like here but the movie just came across to me, for the most part, as too awkward and staged, so that I couldn't connect with its characters.

slapstick dark fantasy light romance mess

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 29 August 2018]

Vivien (Aimee Teegarden) and Chloe (Krysta Rodriguez) are orphaned cousins who are more like bickering sisters. Their aunt Isabelle (Linda Lavin) raised them together and runs a Brooklyn corner bakery. The cousins are forced to take over after Isabelle's death which leaves them heavily in debt and the bakery threatened with foreclosure by the bank. Chloe quits her job as an assistant to bad TV chef Fernando. Vivien abandons her European trip. The banker on the case, Paul, is in love with Vivien. Following his unknowing advice, Vivien claims a three month extension with uncle Dave as a resident of the property. Ian is the bumbling worker and Chloe recruits Daniella to modernize the shop.

This starts somewhat seriously but it turns into a bad wacky romance. There are a lot of slapstick and broad comedy going on here but it has the tone of a sweet bland rom-com with a drug dealer, a mysterious house renovation, and a fantastical shoe reader. Like the food fight, this is a mess. None of the actors are comedic actors who could pull off the wackiness it is attempting in this movie. At best, they are comedy adjacent. It is good natured and sweet like the cupcakes. Like them, it is also empty calories. Then it turns really dark, really really dark for no apparent reason. It's a bunch of weird stuff mounted on a bland rom-com. At least, it's filmed in New York.

Feel Good Movie Ruined in One Scene

[david-22131 · 4/10 · 3 January 2019]

Cute Rom/Com that is decent for the whole family until the head banker is introduced. Suddenly F-bombs are flying. Scene over, back to a family movie.

A TV movie

[iantrader · 2/10 · 19 April 2018]

It's a sort of feel-good rom com with a dash of fantasy -they missed that bit out of the blurb! - but it's short on the feel-good, the rom is set out and obvious and although it's light, there there's really no com.

It's a TV movie if anything, something to waste - sorry, while away - an afternoon when there's absolutely nothing else on the telly. I kinda like the conceit although I suspect I'm in the minority, but it could have been much better.

The fantasy addition is sorta weird and some of the set pieces jar - such as cooking without aprons (as if you would) but having no flour or marks on your clothing.

It's light, not as fluffy as a souffle should be and, unfortunately, nowhere near as tasty.

Mixed bag of a picture fails to charm

[mikemdp · 3/10 · 27 October 2019]

A charming performance from one of two female leads can't save this mixed bag of a picture that tries to blend RomCom, absurd humor and a dash of fantasy, and ultimately fails at all three.

Cousins Vivien and Chloe inherit their aunt's bakery, but disagree on how to operate it. Vivien (Aimee Teegarden from TV's "Friday Night Lights") wants to keep it traditional, while Chloe (Broadway musical star Krysta Rodriguez) wants to switch it up with modern, healthier recipes.

But their late aunt (the great Linda Lavin, hamming it up) left the place in debt, and an evil, even hammier-acting banker seeks to foreclose. So the plucky girls and their friends hatch a plan to keep it open.

The lazily titled "Bakery in Brooklyn" has a dream-like quality to it. With its obvious set pieces and soundstage, rich and vibrant cinematography, a charming, circus-y score, and fantastic elements such as a blind shoe-shine man who can divine people's personalities by caressing their footwear, the filmmakers are obviously shooting for New York-based magical realism like "Little Manhattan."

The result, unfortunately, is much less successful than that superior predecessor.

The biggest problem is the script, which is overloaded with ancillary characters, unimportant side plots and absurd situations.

While it distracts us with stories about a bumbling nerd trying to hook up with a beautiful Spanish girl, and an Eastern European drug dealer who finds a friend in the cousins' elderly uncle (Ernie "Pumbaa" Sabella), the movie short-changes us on the most important part of the plot -- the two cousins' personality clash. It's touched upon, but then driven to a heated confrontation in the first act. After that, there wasn't much interesting left about them for the rest of the movie.

And that's a shame, because Rodriguez is a joy to watch. Vivacious, witty and adorable, hers is the most enjoyable and well-developed character in a film otherwise stocked with rubber-stamped archetypes.

Meandering character studies, particularly those set in Manhattan, a city well-suited to meandering, can often be enjoyable, and transcend even the most threadbare of a plot.

But "Bakery in Brooklyn" is loaded with so much unnecessary nonsense, its story gets buried and it loses its heart.

And a romantic comedy without heart is like a cannoli without filling. It leaves you craving the sweet it's missing.

Such a strange... 'story'

[super_nova_81 · 3/10 · 20 March 2020]

This movie isn't hard to figure out where it's going to end up. Until there is two dead people in the floor in part of the story that is this weird tengent that doesn't have anything to do with the story. It makes no sense and then it doesn't even wrap up that part of the story. The two people fall in love. No that's incredibly messed up and not something two people just bond over. So disturbing. This movie is a mess.

A waste of time

[jleeharris-36991 · 1/10 · 7 April 2019]

Even the acting talents of Blanca Suarez (Cable Girls) and Aitor Luna (Cathedral of the Sea) couldn't rescue this stinker. They were the best actors in the movie and don't even speak English on a regular basis. I couldn't figure out what was going on and then it just ended. Don't waste your time.

Over acting, badly done!

[albertofavela · 1/10 · 6 February 2018]

Couldn't get the story line... to much going on and no story to follow!

Rainy day movie

[bewitchy-41952 · 7/10 · 6 October 2018]

I see from other comments, this did not get the best reviews. It's not a bad movie, the storyline was there, I'm goin to place blame on the director for this movie not doing as well as it could have. It just didn't have that big ah-ha moment. Great movie for a rainy day or if you are bored or under the weather yourself. Definitely worth a look. I thought it was okay, I also rarely agree with critics either.

Confussing in Brooklyn

[majaisakszon · 1/10 · 17 December 2019]

It is confussing strange and very bad. Stopped watchimg after 30 minutes. Do not waste your time with this very bad movie.

Sweet Movie

[kbeck8261 · 9/10 · 13 March 2017]

I really enjoyed this sweet movie of a sweet shop and two cousins who inherit it. Great themes of love and family. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a ten out of ten is the odd subplot with the decorator and the couple with something under their carpet. I think the somewhat clumsy assistant could have been given another way to win the decorator's heart over that would have made more sense.

Still it was light, enjoyable and with a nice ending. (I swear Krista Rodriguez could be Aubrey Plaza's twin - and born only a month and 3,000 miles apart).

An enjoyable and sensitive Spanish/US film about charming relationships with very attractive characters

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 18 September 2021]

A charming and appealing comedy with fine actors that was a success enough at Spanish box office . This is a pretty good film , being mainly set at a traditional stately shop and a few scenarios . The picture displays an optimist and good feeling message with sympathetic roles and likeable situations . Vivien (Aimee Teegarden) and Chloe (Krysta Rodriguez) are two understanding and honest cousins living in Brooklyn, they have been inseparable ever since they were children. At least, they were until recently , as the sudden passing of their Aunt Isabelle (Linda Lavin) has left them with a challenging inheritance : a quaint Boulangerie , Isabelle's, an old fashioned European-styled bakery in Brooklyn, has long been owned and operated by its namesake, Isabelle Moats . As Vivien has to leave her wishes to travel Europe to keep the bakery and Chloe, a chefs assistant for a popular daytime cooking show, feels they should put a modern spin on the sweet products . But things go awry when they learn the bakery is bankrupted due to the previous business that ruined and the bank reveals that the Boulangerie is in danger of being foreclosed . The true problem is what the debts accumulate and they're living almost in the ruin and the situations go wrong . The sweet spot where anything goes.

Stylish and agreeable comedy seasoned with diverting scenes , alluring mess , confusion , mayhem , entertainment and professionally directed by Gustavo Ron . It is a fun picture dealing with couple relationships , jealousy , cousins conflicts and many other things . Resulting to be a decent movie , though slightly claustrophobic due to be usually set at a bakery owns Vivien & Chloe . Romantic and convincing Spanish/US comedy with good actors delivering fine interpretations , funny scenes and nice direction. This is a charming and likable comedy with a lot of incidents in which each time more dangerously out of control , including attractant love stories in which there are twisted messes , as well as the ordinary comedian clichés . Colorful story of loves and jealousy in which predominates amiable, attracting roles who become embroiled in multiple bakery messes . It has some moments of enjoyment as well as amusement and others quite a few embarrassing . Regular and unbalanced , but gaining the sympathy almost at all times . Agreeable performance from cute Aimee Teegarden as Vivien, who has postponed her dream trip to Europe to help run the shop, she wants to keep traditional things , and Krysta Rodriguez as Chloe who is arguably more knowledgeable about food and a better cook/baker since her previous experience . Along with an attractive support cast , such as : Blanca Suárez, Aitor Luna , Enrique Arce, Griffin Newman , Ernie Sabella , Ward Horton , among others . Special mention for the veteran Linda Lavin in a brief role as the kind aunt who cared the two cousins since their respective sets of parents passed away , leaving Isabelle to raise both of them.

It displays a catching and moving musical score by Lucio Godoy . As well as a brilliant and glimmering cinematography by Miguel Gilaberte , usually in half-light from the bakery . This motion picture with a great and sympathetic cast was well directed by Gustavo Ron , as no big deal , the flick is acceptable and decent enough . However , accustomed the general public to hit smashes of other US blockbusters , this little ''My Bakery in Brooklyn 2016'' director failed to convince this time to critics , however getting success enough at the Spanish boxoffice and limited in USA. The motion picture was compellingly directed by Gustavo Ron. He is a fine craftsman who has directed a few films and TV series such as : Mia Sarah , My Bakery in Brooklyn , Vivir para siempre or Way to live forever and Velvet colection series . Rating : 6.5/10 , worthwhile seeing .

how to ruin a movie with a lousy soundtrack

[halukermis-938-228108 · 4/10 · 26 August 2019]

It is not a bad movie. The sound track was very bad and overlapped some dialogs. Unnecessarily used music just ruined the movie. It must show to the film school students as bad example

One of the most stupid comedies

[arwenme · 2/10 · 9 June 2022]

I really laughed about how goofy the whole scenario is! Model looking actors bumping into each other accidentally , a man "trapped" into a bread basket for an intire afternoon - like how is it even possible?? Well if you believe in modern fairytails - actually if you need desperately to believe in one- then yes this is your movie. Otherwise don' t waste your time in a non existing storyline. There are so many nice comedies. This is not one.

As Light As a Cream Puff...

[evmc-1 · 7/10 · 21 June 2019]

And about as substantial, but inoffensive. Lots of plot holes, but so what? Could have used more Linda Lavin, who is always good. The cast was fine and pretty to look at. Production was good, too. If you are looking for something frothy and light, you won't go wrong with this Bakery in Brooklyn.

Bizarre

[Jackbv123 · 8/10 · 13 June 2022]

This movie obviously doesn't take itself seriously. It is confusing and sometimes painful. I also got more laughs out of it than the last 10 "rom/coms" I watched put together.

Definitely don't watch if you don't like quirky. In fact, you need to love quirky. Almost all the characters are so quirky they border on crazy.

Don't expect what you might consider a story. Nothing makes sense, especially the sudden hatred between the best friends. Food fights are so yesterday, but this one is actually kind of funny and has a funny follow-up sequence. The last 20 minutes or so after all the chaos, the story begins to come together toward a conclusion. But even that is a parody on all the Hallmark type miraculous HEA endings. It's so filled with bizarre and unlikely happenings. Likewise, the dialogue has streaks of nonsense, crazy, quirky, funny.

As to the Rom part of rom/com, this movie features a bunch of characters and a few romances rather than concentrating on only one central one.

I guess Iam stalking Daniella could be funny. It's done in such a ridiculous way that like everything else, you can't take it seriously. And Daniella puts up with it.

This movie is both brilliant and terrible, like I said, there are painful moments but after sticking with it, I grew immune to the painful. Watch at your own risk. You just might love it. Or hate it.

My Kind of Film

[GailTaplin-98447 · 10/10 · 6 December 2019]

This review will probably give readers a total idea of what I am about. It is easy to watch, lovely, has pretty and attractive people in it, a lovely family story, CAKE...CHOCOLATE...does it get any better? Ha ha ha. It is set in a location that I have been to, so sentimental too. It also reminds me of a book I read a long time ago "Bread Alone" by Judith Ryan Hendricks, which is a story of lost love, new chapters and making a success out of something unexpected. I wonder?