“The Baker” is an intriguing crime and murder story as well as a family bonding picture. Odd as that combination might sound, the film deftly alternates between scenes of extreme violence and those of an estranged grandfather and granddaughter learning to trust each other. The acting is very low-key which offsets the intense fight choreography.

The film begins with a scene of the baker Pappi (Ron Perlman) getting up to make his morning creations. In another scene Pappi’s son Peter (Joel David Moore) is holding up a sign at an airport since he is a limo driver for incoming arrivals.

Later Peter is asleep in his car in the airport parking garage when a crime unfolds in front of him. A man goes to the trunk of a parked vehicle and takes out a tote bag. He is confronted by masked men and battle ensues. All of them are killed in a bloodbath. Peter starts to call 911 but disconnects as a plan unfolds in his head regarding the bag.

Delfi (Emma Ho), Peter’s daughter and Pappi’s granddaughter, turns over a bug on a windowsill at school that is unable to right itself. Her father bursts into the classroom to take her away. He tells her that they are going on a road trip and she is clearly glad to spend time with her father.

They arrive at Pappi’s shop. It turns out that Pappi disappeared from Peter’s life many years ago. Peter has tracked him down after much effort. He tells his father that he has a great business opportunity. He needs to leave Delfi with Pappi while he gets everything sorted out.

Delfi is initially furious at the thought of being abandoned by her father. By now, we know that she doesn’t speak but do not know why: is it a choice, the result of a trauma, or a physical condition? Delfi goes to Peter’s car and we see her stare at the mysterious bag. After Peter leaves, Pappi and Delfi get into some routine clashes since Delfi is rebellious.

When Peter returns to his apartment, he is confronted by Vic (Elias Koteas) and a thug. They want to know about the bag. When Pete hands them the bag, it turns out that Delfi put her backpack clothes into the bag and took what amounts to individual pink packets of heroin into her own backpack.

When Peter realizes about the switcheroo perpetrated by Delfi, to protect them he calls Pappi. He tells him what Delfi likes. Pappi is perplexed at this phone call until he hears a gunshot and the line goes dead.

Pappi decides to go look for his son. By now he knows about the drugs. He and Delfi gather some things and get into the bakery delivery truck. Delfi is insistent that Pappi buckle up.

At Peter’s apartment, they find a scene of chaos but no Peter. The Pappi talks to a neighbor who has baby-sat Delfi. She says that Delfi’s mother was killed in a car accident when she was struck by a driver who had a heart-attack. Delfi was in the back seat when it happened. Delfi’s Mom was not wearing a seat belt at the time and Delfi has not spoken since the accident.

Soon Pappi and Delfi will be unwillingly drawn into a crime world in the search for Peter.

Apparently “The Baker” was made in 2022 but is just now being released in the United States. I don’t know the reason for the delay, but I can say that I am not sure who the target audience for this picture is.
On the one hand, you have the story of a family that has been estranged from each other. As the film progresses, Delfi and Pappi get to bond and know each other better. The reference to “Heidi” is notable.

On the other hand, you have what amounts to a murder mystery as Pappi tries to discover if his son is still alive or not. As he becomes more and more involved in this world, we discover that Pappi is no neophyte when it comes to subduing combatants, armed or not.

I was impressed at the way the director Jonathan Sobol deftly combined the two story lines. While the story is not compelling, it is interesting and well-told.

The fact that Pappi had remarkable fighting skills does not mean that he is invincible to damage. While we do have some scenes where normal humans would not be able to endure the damage inflicted, this is offset by the wounds which Pappi incurs. There is no prettifying the results of his battles. I admired this aspect of the story in not making Pappi full-on Rambo.

The fight sequences are beautifully choreographed and occur with some regularity once the search for Peter begins. A battle in the delivery truck involving a unique death with a baking implement is very creative.
I was never bored by the story and I appreciated the aura of mystery which suffuses the plot. Certainly I am no fan of excessive exposition, and this screenplay is quite taut.

The acting was so low-key that it disguised some good performances. Of course Perlman strikes a nice balance between caring about Delfi and kicking ass.

Harvey Keitel in a bit part as the Merchant conveys menace by his mere presence. Koteas as Vic walks the tightrope between not being good enough, since he isn’t family, for the Merchant while having to be his enforcer. His sense of world-weariness is palpable.

Emma Ho as Delfi is very good at conveying emotions without speech. Even Moore in his brief stint in the film conveys the wish to be a good father and someone far too willing to get involved in a get-rich-quick scheme. All of this amounts to a tribute to casting.

The editing was well-done. I particularly liked the job done with the hospital scene and the fight with the Ukrainian in the bathroom.

The film was made in the Cayman Islands, although the story never noted where it was. So you get some nice beach views from time to time.

While low-budget and likely to fall under the radar, this movie has a good story that merits watching. Although it has a child actor, it is completely unsuitable for children and tweens.

Three and a half out of five stars

When his family is threatened, the baker becomes the butcher.

A quiet, solitary man’s estranged son suddenly comes back into his life with a granddaughter he never knew existed. When his son disappears on a shady business opportunity, the baker must do everything he can to find his son and protect his granddaughter from the mob hitmen sent to find her.

Starring Ron Perlman, Elias Koteas, Joel David Moore
Introducing Emma Ho, And Harvey Keitel

Directed by Jonathan Sobol

Website: thebakermovie.com