Happy Birthday to the Goddess MICHELLE PFEIFFER... Today she turns 51.... 51! And she still look stunning.
I'm not going to limit myself to a top 5 for her, because I love her so much I just couldn't. So, instead, I'm doing a TOP 20!
here we go...
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20.
Beth Cappadora in
The Deep End of the Ocean: Uneven performance, but with some really marvelous moments, like when she's talking to his son in jail... great chemistry between them.
19.
Rita in
I Am Sam: The only
effing good thing about this movie. She elevates the material and knows her game.
18.
Sukie Ridgemont in
The Witches of Eastwick: You believe her naiveness as the easily-pregnant witch. Plus, she has great chemistry with all of her co-stars.
17.
LouAnne Johnsson in
Dangerous Minds: The film itself doesn't make her any favors, actually, it's the other way around. She lifts the movie.
16.
Lurene Hallet in
Love Field: I like this performance less than the consensus I guess, but still is really a good performance fill with charisma and honesty.
15.
Laura in
Wolf: The movie is hers. I really don't like this film, but she is so great in it that I can watch it multiple times just for her.
14.
Velma Von Tussle in
Hairspray: What a return, ah? Singing and acting at the same time. Just
Pfeifferlicious! Love the way she portrayed the sarcasm and irony in the character.
13.
Katya in
The Russia House: Not because of the accent, but just the way she delivers her lines and expresses everything with her face.
12.
Melanie Parker in
One Fine Day: One of her most underrated performances and film. You can tell she had a really good time doing this.
11.
Lamia in
Stardust: Oh my... I love her playing evil. But playing evil and kinda goofy was just great stuff. She steals every scene she's in, and every scene she's not in too becase you keep reminding her.
10.
Angela de Marco in
Married to the Mob: A hell of a ride is her performance here. Über-funny.
9.
Elvira in
Scarface: I think she was supposedly to just be pretty (gorgeous actually), but she does much much more, she acts, she gives a terrific performance where you actually feel that/what Elvira is feeling.
8.
Claire in
What Lies Beneath: Wooow... I have such a fixation with her eyes that if I ever direct a movie and she stars in it I would totally be obssessed with close-ups to those green jewels. She really actes with them, you can see the insecurity, the terror, the fear, the pity, every feeling in them.
7.
Frankie in
Frankie & Johnny: I'm not familiar with the original source material, I've just heard that she's miscast beacause Frankie is suppose to be non-attractive. For that reason they have a point. But, and here's a big BUT, without de-glamming (that much) she portrays a REAL woman, you can see how insecure she is even when she pretends to be a confident girl. Performance-wise she was really the perfect choice.
6.
Rose Cook Lewis in
A Thousand Acres: Everyone seems to agree that the film is not great. Also, everyone seem to agree that Jessica Lange is the only bright spot in the film. For me, without demeriting Lange, Pfeiffer is the one to thank for the parts when you can see what a great film it could have been.
5.
C. Ellen Olenska in
The Age of Innocence: Martin Scorcese, I think, is mostly known for his work with guys, but he has actually deliver amazing performances by women. Here one of them. The character is sort of what Michelle is actually in the media, and "outcast", because she has never really been considered a great actress by her fellow actors. For me, one of her most defining roles.
4.
Madame de Tourvel in
Dangerous Liaisons: Glenn Close is fantastic in this, and still Pfeiffer proves to be a great counterpart, not actually sharing great movie-time but with the amazing contrast in characterization they both make. You believe in the innocence and the naiveness of her character and the way she step-by-step convinced by Malkovich.
3.
Ingrid Magnussen in
White Oleander: The way she looks and act that "icy" and at the same time that "warm" is magnificent... well, she doesn't actually feels "warm", but you can see Ingrid actually caring for her daughter. And again, her eyes... she is so convincely acts with her face and especially her eyes that you would believe anything she says.
2.
Selina Kyle/Catwoman in
Batman Returns: She makes you belive it's possible all that happens in this movie just by portraying her Catwoman so freakin' good. The way she move, the way she talks, the way she looks... there's such specificity in this that it's impossible not to believe the character is real, when it's everything but.
1.
Susie Diamond in
The Fabulous Baker Boys: Everything she does great, she does in here. She shows you emotion by acting with every inch of her body; she sings her ass off; she looks gorgeous and sexy; she's funny as hell; she knows when to stop the funny and be dramatic. Don't know how it is possible that she lose that Oscar but this performance is really for the ages. Pure perfection
