With her recent critically lauded turn in The Wizard of Lies and exciting projects on the horizon, 2017 belongs to Michelle Pfeiffer.
Michelle Pfeiffer’s acting dry spell is officially over with the premiere of the HBO movie The Wizard of Lies this past weekend. Centered around the notorious 2008 scandal, the Barry Levinson-directed film sees Pfeiffer taking on the role of Ruth Madoff, wife of disgraced financier Bernie (Robert DeNiro), who notoriously swindled loads of investors out of billions of dollars in what would become the largest ponzi scheme ever to take place. Some were curious as to whether eternally attractive Pfeiffer would be able to physically transform herself into a woman two decades older. But boasting hands coated with liver spots, aging make-up, and the real-life woman’s thick Brooklyn accent, Pfeiffer delivers what is certainly her best performance in years.
It’s a welcome return to acting for Pfeiffer who, since last starring in the 2013 mafia comedy The Family, has kept an especially low profile, even by her famously private standards. Planned projects, including a comedy with Diane Keaton and Viola Davis titled Whatever Makes You Happy and the Royal Tenenbaums-like dramedy Man Under both stalled in the development phase. As a result, the star retreated back to her Northern California haven, making only a handful of appearances in the last three years, including a photoshoot and article for Entertainment Weekly commemorating the 25th anniversary of The Fabulous Baker Boys (still one of Pfeiffer’s most iconic films) which stated that the actress had no planned projects at the moment.
Yet when Pfeiffer chooses to work, not only does she accept multiple film assignments at one time, but she takes on projects that are each intriguing in one way or another, all of which are typically worthy of her participation and talents, much to the excitement of her many loyal fans. And judging by the slate of movies the actress has due for release in the coming months, 2017 should be a great reminder of what makes Pfeiffer both an actress and a star.
Where is Kyra?
An actress with Pfeiffer’s skillset is at her best in dramatic fare, even if such material is hard to come by these days (perhaps another reason for her limited film output in recent years). Nonetheless, the indie Where is Kyra? sees Pfeiffer teaming up with acclaimed director Andrew Dosunmu (whose 2013 effort Mother of George has made him one of the most heralded independent filmmakers around) for a story about a sensitive and fragile woman who embarks on a dangerous act upon the death of her mother to ensure her own survival. The dark, gritty New York indie was shot in just 18 days and photographed by Arrival’s Bradford Young. Response to the film out of Sundance was mixed, but critics agreed that the role of damaged Kyra was tailor-made for the kind of acting Pfeiffer does so well. Though it isn’t the sort of film one would associate Pfeiffer with, Dosunmu was quick to explain the casting of his famous leading lady. “I could have gone the Tilda Swinton route. But you would expect her to do this film,” he said. “To me, the reason for doing this film was to add to the conversation about our society. And what better way than to use Michelle…because then it resonates with the audience.”
Mother!
When word got out that Pfeiffer was in final negotiations for Darren Aronofsky’s then-untitled next project, many in the film world couldn’t believe that the merging of two of cinema’s most iconic and opposite talents would be working together. Starring alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Domnhall Gleeson, and Ed Harris, Mother!, according to the now-tired logline, is about a couple whose lives are changed with the appearance of unexpected guests who disrupt their way of life. Little else has been known of the project (even the film’s genre as a horror/thriller was barely confirmed when a studio exec let it slip during an interview) until the official poster’s recent reveal, which depicts a painted Lawrence ripping her own heart out. Other clues, including confirmation of an upside down set, and even Aronofsky himself saying that Mother! contains societal undertones, have only increased interest in the project. When the director interviewed Pfeiffer in the April issue of Interview magazine, the actress admitted to not understanding the film’s script upon first reading it, describing it as “esoteric.” Whatever the final product will be like, or what the actress’s role within it is, Mother! remains one of the most anticipated titles of the year.
Murder on the Orient Express
Kenneth Branagh rarely does anything small, either as an actor or a director. That’s why his remake of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express has already proven to be one of the most lavish productions of the year. Branagh directs and plays the famous fictional detective Hercule Poirot, who finds himself tasked with solving the murder of a wealthy American (Johnny Depp) aboard a luxury train full of suspects. After months of negotiations with Angelina Jolie proved to be going nowhere, Pfeiffer readily accepted the role of Mrs. Hubbard, a loud-mouthed American tourist who may or may not have something to hide. The response to the film’s trailer at CinemaCon was largely positive, while official stills of Pfeiffer, Branagh, Depp, and a cast which also includes the likes of Penelope Cruz, Josh Gad, Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, and Judi Dench set the tone for the kind of grand-scale level of filmmaking audiences should expect. Both the project and the role not only scream movie star, making it a perfect fit for Pfeiffer, but Murder on the Orient Express will also give the actress a chance to show off her underused comedic flair by playing a humorous character while once again allowing her to explore new acting territory.
If there are some people who feel Pfeiffer is past her prime, or not part of the A-list anymore, they need only examine the evidence. Out of all her peers (Melanie Griffith, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan, etc.) she’s the only one still being offered quality roles with top directors in high-profile projects. She’s got plenty of goodwill and faith from studios (not many actresses can be chosen to replace Jolie, after all); has found herself the unexpected musical muse of Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, and Vance Joy; and the actress can proudly count Matthew Vaughn, Stephen Frears, Garry Marshall, Tim Burton, and Luc Besson, along with the aforementioned filmmakers, as collaborators over the last 10 years.
Perhaps Jodie Foster remains the only other actress over 50 who can walk away from the business at the drop of a hat and casually re-enter it whenever she feels like it. That’s certainly been the case for Pfeiffer, an actress who knows a life outside Hollywood and returns to the industry only when the craving to act is there within her. With a long-time marriage to TV titan David E. Kelley still going strong and two kids in college, as well as various non-showbiz ventures under her belt, Pfeiffer has more than proven that she doesn’t need the movies. But with that combination of unrivaled beauty and her ability to bring forth the truth of every character she morphs into, while adding weight and depth to each project she graces, the movies will always need her.
