Michelle Pfeiffer
Born: April 29, 1958 in Santa Ana, California, USA
Oscar recognition:
- 1989 - Best Supporting Actress for Dangerous Liaisons (nom)
- 1990 - Best Leading Actress for The Fabulous Baker Boys (nom)
- 1993 - Best Leading Actress for Love Field (nom)
One of the most beautiful women that ever walked on Earth, Michelle Pfeiffer was the A-list of the A-list in the late 80's and in the begining of the 90's, managing to get 6 Golden Globe nominations (winning one) 6 years in a round, for 6 amazing performances.
She called attentions with her charm and voice in the movie musical flop Grease 2, but she started gaining a "serious actress reputation" after appearing in Brian de Palma's Scarface. After Scarface, she became the biggest Hollywood movie star and delivered iconic performances as Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys and as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Tim Burton's Batman Returns.
After some years away from stardom, Michelle had an impressive combeack due to her astonishing supporting performance in White Oleander. After appearing in the acclaimed Stardust and Hairspray, she received raves for her work in Chéri and she's currently an Oscar contender (not a huge contender, but stills being a contender) for her raw performance in the family drama People Like Us
10 BEST PERFORMANCES (in order by year):
1983 - as Elvira Hancock in Scarface
"Elvira, a silky blonde junkie played by Michelle Pfeiffer, a beautiful young actress without a bad - or even an awkward - camera angle to her entire body. (...) Miss Pfeiffer who, though she's not on screen that much, will not be easily forgotten"
by Vincent Canby in New York Times
Published: December 9, 1983
1988 - as Angela de Marco in Married to the Mob
"Michelle Pfeiffer has the pivotal role of the movie and perhaps of her career as Angela De Marco (...) Pfeiffer becomes the Italian princess, right down to the Longa Island accent. Angela is an updated suburban moll, a gum-popper with press-on nails and lots of sweaters applique'd with feathers. She looks like a caricature, but there's anguish under all that mascara. (...) Ruehl's virago is majestic in her jealousy, stealing scenes but never the show from the sweetly determined Pfeiffer."
by Rita Kempley in The Washington Post
Published: August 19, 1988
1988 - as Madame Marie de Tourvel in Dangerous Liaisons
"for Pfeiffer, in a year that has seen her in varied assignments such as "Married to the Mob" and "Tequila Sunrise," the movie is more evidence of her versatility. She is good when she is innocent and superb when she is guilty."
by Roger Ebert in Chicago Sun-Times
Published: January 13, 1989
1989 - as Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys
"Pfeiffer quite simply has one of the roles of a lifetime, as the high-priced call girl who wants to become a low-priced lounge singer. (...) This is one of the movies they will use as a document, years from now, when they begin to trace the steps by which Pfeiffer became a great star. (...) This is the movie of her flowering - not just as a beautiful woman, but as an actress with the ability to make you care about her, to make you feel what she feels."
by Roger Ebert in Chicago Sun-Times
Published: October 13, 1989
1992 - as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman Returns
"The runaway star here is Pfeiffer, whose performance is a sexy, comic triumph. Neither crime fighter nor villain but something in between, her Catwoman is a post-Madonna feminist: She finds emotional liberation in acting salacious. Pfeiffer has perfected a slinky-predatory walk, and she speaks in the honeyed tones of a phone-sex vixen but with an undertow of dark knowledge, as if she had secrets that scared her. What makes the performance a sly turn-on is that Pfeiffer isn't just playing trashy. She's playing a nice girl acting trashy"
by Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly
Published: June 26, 1992
1992 - as Lurene Hallett in Love Field
"Pfeiffer plays Lurene as a big-hearted, motor-mouth ditz. But, even in the movie's earliest scenes, Pfeiffer suggests that Lurene has hidden depth; not unrevealed smarts, really, but innate decency and guilelessness. (...) The movie belongs almost entirely to Pfeiffer, partly by default but largely by the sheer vivacity of her emotions. Pfeiffer has become one of those transparent actors, a performer who allows us direct access to her character's thoughts and feelings. (...) She's fully alive up there on the screen: a grounded angel, tarnished, funny and exquisitely soulful, even when the movie is dead."
by Hal Hinson in The Washington Post
Published: February 12, 1993
1993 - as Ellen Olenska in The Age of Innocence
"I have never subscribed to the widely-held belief that Michelle Pfeiffer is a ravishing beauty. (...) Ellen is exotic, certainly, but beautiful? Nevertheless, there is no denying the stirring, heartfelt passion of Pfeiffer's performance. Outstripping anything she has done in the past, the role of Ellen can be considered a pinnacle."
by James Berardinelli in ReelViews
Published: January 1, 2000
2002 - as Ingrid Magnussen in White Oleander
"Michelle Pfeiffer, dazzlingly — if incongruously — beautiful in prison denims (...) Pfeiffer dominates the film despite limited screen time. Early on, she's slow and dreamy, as if sleepwalking; soon, Ingrid's fury shows through, with a barely twitching lip and cold smile."
by Moira Macdonald in The Seattle Times
Published: October 11, 2002
2009 - as Lea de Lonval in Chéri
"Michelle Pfeiffer has been Oscar worthy before, notably in Frears's Dangerous Liaisons and Scorsese's The Age Of Innocence, but this is the performance of her life. Now in her 50s, she looks more stunning than ever, and her mesmerising characterisation combines comedic charm, tragic depth and that never-to-be-under-rated ingredient, sex appeal."
by Christopher Tookey in Daily Mail [UK]
Published: May 7, 2009
2012 - as Lillian in People Like Us
"And Pfeiffer, looking beautiful in a way that’s believable for her age, is terrific. Pfeiffer embraces rather than recoils from the steeliness of her character, and her fearlessness makes all the difference."
by Stephanie Zacharek in Movieline
Published: June 27, 2012
Title: ACTOR/ACTRESS OF THE MONTH: Michelle, ma belle
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
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