Tilt Your Head, Pfeiffer!
Friday, September 1, 2017 at 12:20PM by Murtada
Mother! is my most anticipated film of the fall. And it’s so good that we don’t have to wait that long for it. Just 14 days from today it will be everywhere. The obsession is real, and for the last few days it has become very specific.
Of course it has to do with Michelle Pfeiffer. There’s a new clip making the rounds where Pfeiffer intimidates Jennifer Lawrence about having kids...
She circles around her as if Pfeiffer’s a hunter and Lawrence is her prey. Halfway through the clip she tilts her head. It’s a small move, but the actress and the character sharply comes into focus even though the camera doesn’t move until a few seconds later. It’s hypnotic. We can’t stop looking at it.
Adding to the excitement is a report from Vanity Fair that someone who has seen mother! thinks Pfeiffer could win the Oscar for her performance. We don’t want to get carried away but you know she deserves all the accolades for that head tilt alone. Now the question becomes what do we do after September 15? Probably watch mother! again and again. How are you spending your few remaining mother-less days?
Reader Comments (34)
The head tilt is everything and those eyes seem to penetrate Jennifer's rmind.
Pfeiffer sweeping supporting this season is all I want from this season.
If the spoilers I read are true...this is going nowhere near any awards.
I'm definitely looking forward to this one as well. And I've been predicting both her and Harris for the supporting categories for months. They've got -sight unseen- perfect narratives: two multi-nominated screen veterans in a high profile film, with one of them currently in her comeback year. I'm a bit surprised, though, that everyone's talking about a Pfeiffer win but not the same in Harris's case, considering he's older and has been nominated more times than her, especially considering how the Academy loves to reward veterans in Best Supporting Actor (even more than in Best Supporting Actress).
Of course, it's still too early.
Harris has no communal enthusiasm for an overdue narrative.
Darren Aronofsky: in your next time please call Cate Blanchett, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes and Christian Bale. Thank you!
I am rooting for Pfeiffer this year! She is so good with dark material with a sexy vibe
Though Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actress and looks to be doing great here, I cant stop thinking of Brit Marling or Evan Rachel Wood in that role. I think both of these actresses would hav ebeen a better choice
Lawrence is every where
"Harris has no communal enthusiasm for an overdue narrative."
Overdue narratives are all about activating *potential* enthusiasm. A big hit flips a switch and overnight Jeff Bridges (who'd been working without an Oscar for four decades) becomes The Most Overdue Man in America. Suddenly it's a crying shame that Alan Arkin has never won an Oscar, or Christopher Plummer has never even been nominated.
Gary Oldman is the only actor I can think of who sustains "whyyyyy doesn't he have an Oscar?!" fawning no matter what he's doing.
Ed Harris is tremendously suited to win an "overdue" Oscar. He just needs the right role. I don't think it will be for Mother, but it's not because the Academy lacks respect or enthusiasm for Ed Harris.
Given the content of the film unfortunately I think even the nomination may be unlikely.
I may have to suffer through a Jennifer Lawrence performance to see Michelle Pfeiffer in this.
Lawrence is a small price to pay to enjoy Michelle Pfeiffer-ing in the multiplex in something that least isn't disposable on paper.
"Overdue... Overdue...Overdue" I am really tired of this word here. A certain blogger uses it constantly. An award could and should be given to an actor even if it is his/her first movie.
I would love for Pfeiffer to win awards for this role if she is deserving.
Remember when you are a fanatic about someone, any little thing they do is GREAT. others who are not as enamored of that person see a different scope.
I was a fanatic about a certain actress and thought she was excellent in EVERYTHING she did,
Then I went back years later and watched her movies and she was great in some and not so great in others.
I, like all the Lawrence Despisers, will allow my eyes to be assailed with her insufferable visage in order to see Michellend (and my crush Domhnall) in this.
@Manuel-Evan in that role. FUCK YES!!!!!! She's a way better actress than J-Law and would totally kick her in the ass. Better yet, J-Law should be invited to Evan's SUPERKICK!!!!!!!!!! party.
I'm excited for Michelle. I know the material is tricky, but if anyone can get material like this into the Oscar conversation, its Aronofsky.
This, Killing of a Sacred Dear, and Mudbound are my most anticipated movies of the year.
I'm not sold this is an oscar play at all, even if better than most the other nominated films, but we'll see!
Looks like Phfieffer is going very big here. That could be bad or good so fingers crossed.
BUT I do think this will be a box office hit; easily surpassing Aronofsky's prior films
I hope mother! is (a) good and (b) a big hit, although how quickly people forget that both Black Swan and Noah made over $100 million in the U.S. alone. The repfeiffal is a-happening.
Is this any different than her character in White Oleander? Probably not. I am as happy as anyone to see her back, but she has mined this territory before.
Who talks by turning her head and walking through rooms and stroking a doorframe? An actress!
I love the above comment! Thanks Mad.
"Oh, you do want them"
That's a tip top line delivery if ever I've heard one.
To thevoid, Elsa, 3rtful, and others: At IMDB, under Jennifer Lawrence, it says, "Won 1 Oscar. Another 113 wins & 170 nominations." I think the thousands of people who voted for her for those awards, before she was 25 or 26, know a lot more about acting than you do. Donald Sutherland and others say that she is a genius at acting and is the greatest actor they have ever seen. If you don't like her, probably out of envy, don't watch her. I watch everything she is in and everything she does. She is spectacular, in addition to being an honest, humble, good, generous person. She knows that she annoys many people and says that she annoys herself. She would rather just act and not go on press tours, talk shows, etc. Her extreme ADHD and anxiety cause her to blurt out things that she regrets later. Learn more about her so you can appreciate her.
Kace, I don't think awards and nominations are necessarily an indication of greatness, and I am always resistant when people cite envy as cause for disliking a famous person, especially on a site like this where genuine talent is really appreciated and all kinds of film actors are lauded frequently.
But I agree Jennifer Lawrence is an excellent actress and has true movie star persona. I think the problem some people have with her stems from how ubiquitous she was for a short while. And the rabid nature or her fans who came to her defence. Personally her win for Silver Linings Playback pains me because she was just fine and Emmanuelle Riva for instance was just outstanding. I also thought she was just fine and miscast in American Hustle. It doesn't help that I do not love David O'Russell films.
But I thought her performance in Winter's Bone was sensational, I thought she was truly engaging and accomplished in The Hunger Games films, and in my mind she was underrated in Passengers. I look forward to seeing her working away from O'Russell, and I hope she knocks it out the park in mother!
as always, it's "play the casting agent" in j-law-related posts... annoying.
(glad not one of you are actually making decisions)
All I am getting from JLaw in these clips is scared ventilating rabbit. The bar has been set really low now for what is considered good acting.
Billy Bob. I totally agree with your assessment of JLaw's acting roles.
@Jason - right now it's all speculation. Both Lawrence and Pfieffer could end up awful in this based on what we've seen so far.
@Jason: Well-said. J-law's acting 'talent' is largely based on perception (people say she's good and shower her with awards so others believe it, IMO).
very positive reviews so far - say the film is brilliant / divisive
all saying Pfeiffer is good, but reviews I've read are more focused on the overall film & not the specific performances
The descriptions I have read of mother! describe it as a flat out crazy horror film, and it was equally booed and praised after it screened at Venice. That film is not winning any awards, and may draw initial interest until people find out the subject matter is repugnant.
press conference gives some insight into the film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUJwhSc0Co4
mother! (earth?)
Michelle still never get used to stardom.. haha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2FwtuDix0M
good review.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=araEJI8Lt7U