Break

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I'm going on vacation tomorrow for a month, so I won't be posting anytime soon. But when I'm back; full written articles back on my blog :)

Chelsea

Heartbreaking moments

An actress’ true essence is in her expression of emotion. The way she portrays the feelings of a character by a movement or a facial expression. The art of letting the audience feel the emotion without words. Michelle has proven to be a master in this several times. I’m sure Michelle’s performances have made a lot of people cry. And even though I can’t cry at movies myself, these moments were heartbreaking.I am Sam.It’s always a surprise when you suddenly see a soft character getting a backbone. But it’s an even bigger shock when you see a cold character getting feelings. And Michelle did it perfectly. Her emotional break-down towards Sam swept people away. That cold edge around Michelle’s character suddenly melts away and makes room for this blurt of emotion. If that’s not heartbreaking, what is?

The deep end of the ocean.
I’m not a mother, so I can only imagine how it must feel like. Losing your child is the worst thing that could happen to a mother. The moment when you see the crust of bread in Michelle’s hand while she makes a face, just that look makes you feel empathy. And when she looks at her son’s picture and starts to have an attack… You get such a mixture of feelings. Shock, understanding, pity. Now that I think of it, that movie is very underrated. As is Michelle’s performance.

Chéri.
The whole last hour of this movie is sad actually, but the last conversation between Léa and Chéri is the real tearjerker. The complexity of Léa all falls together in the end. The real sadness lies in the realization that Léa loves Chéri so much that she lets him go.
And the way she says ‘You found an old woman.’ One simple sentence, said with so much emotion and remorse. It really overwhelmed me and I even got Goosebumps! Only she could do it that way. And talking about gripping looks. Léa’s look in the mirror at the end expressed it all.

The age of innocence.
I’ve been longing to do a review on this one, but I want to wait for the right moment; this movie means a lot to me. The heartbreak, obviously, rests in the way Ellen and Newland can’t be together, even though it’s obvious they belong together. Michelle’s expressions and dialogue are what made Ellen. The way she resists the temptation and pretends the carelessness. Also, their chemistry is just right. The scene where Newland strips Ellen of her glove, followed by a passionate kiss, it just takes my breath away.

Frankie and Johnny.
My favorite Pfilm; real, honest, heartbreaking. Michelle portrays an unhappy woman with a strong shield around her heart. That is until the last part of the film. The last scene in which all her emotions come out is really heartbreaking. The heartbreak itself was short, because it does have a happy ending and it was so great to finally see her giving love another chance. But this movie wasn’t about the ending, it was about the journey of the characters during the film.

Up close and personal.
From the moment you see Ned’s face, you know there’s something wrong. And when you see those boots, all you can do is scream, silently. But I don’t find Michelle’s crying and whispers in terror the saddest about this movie. The scene I find really touching is the very last scene. When she is going on stage to give a speech and sees her husband’s picture on the screen. Her look there is indescribable. So is her speech, which she gives as she goes. “My husband told me that, not so long ago.” Just the way she said that. So sincere and warm, with a look that tells you more than a thousand words.

Few in number, big in loyalty!

We all know Pfans aren’t common. We’re a very selected group of people divided in different parts of the world. I’m not talking about people who like her in a movie or two; I’m talking about the real deal Pfans to the bone. The people who spend their time writing Pfeiffer-blogs, surfing Pfeiffer-websites and discuss all sorts of Pfeiffer-stuff with other Pfans. But why is it that so few people are Pfans? I mean, Michelle’s an A-class actress, there’s no question about that. But still, most people prefer Meryl, Angelina or Sandra.

Ok, obviously, it has to do with the quantity and quality of her work. She hasn’t worked in a while and even her most recent films weren’t big successes. I’m sure that has cost her some fans. But that’s the difference between someone who likes her and a true Pfan.

People love a humanitarian. Someone who donates money to charities, attends galas for nature causes; those sorts of things. It’s safe to say that Michelle hates the spotlight. Remember her quote: “I act for free, but I demand a huge salary for being a public personality.” If you want to gain star-status, you should go to the right parties, attend important events, and so on. But Michelle doesn’t want to be a public personality. This explains why we haven’t seen her in so long. I’m not saying she is doing this on purpose to minimize her fan base, but it’s an inevitable outcome.

But one thing she’s forgetting. With a big fan base, comes big success. Don’t you think Chéri would’ve been much more appreciated if Meryl Streep had starred in it? I guarantee she’d get an Oscar nomination, probably even win. I’m not saying that she could do it better than Michelle, I mean, come on! It’s just that Meryl is a generally more respected actress. Besides, no offense, but it’s like a rule that all her movies have to be nominated or something!
It’s so disgraceful that Sandra Bullock won for ‘The blind side’. Ok, the movie wasn’t horrible, but really, each of the other nominees deserved it more. But that’s Hollywood. Sandra is America’s sweetheart and the Academy plays on that. Michelle’s hugely underrated and that’s such a shame. But the blame really is on her dislike of publicity. If she would do something about her publicity, she could be huge. But that brings us back to the beginning; Michelle doesn’t like publicity! And that equals few Pfans.

But I don’t mind Pfans being so few in number. Their dedication and loyalty are infinite!

Number 2

Not too long ago, when someone asked me my top5 favorite actresses, my response was: ‘One; Michelle Pfeiffer, two; uuuhhhm….’. Well, now I have a two; Angelina Jolie.

I’ve always kind of liked Angelina Jolie, but never so much that I watched movies just because she’s in it. Lately though, I’ve become fond of her and her movies.
First of all she has a very wide range. Her characters are all so different. People see her as the typical lead in action movies, which she is on some level. But her roles in “The changeling”, “Girl, interrupted” and “Life or something like it” were every bit as good as “Wanted”, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and “Salt”. Secondly, I like her attitude towards the media. She has no agent or anything and she’s very open in interviews. I find her honesty about being bisexual pretty cool. She definitely appreciates her fans. She once signed autographs for an hour! Also, I like her approach in roles. It takes a lot of courage and self-confidence to do the kind of sex scenes she has done. She’s shameless and daring. Lastly, she’s a great humanitarian. Donates millions to good causes, she’s even a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. And she’s simply a beautiful woman.

But let me make something very clear (Higg, read carefully :p). No one, I repeat, no one could ever replace Michelle as my number one. She will always be my favorite actress, forever.

The difference between my fandom for Michelle and my liking towards Angelina is in the opposition. Michelle and Angelina differ like water and fire. When you look at Michelle you see grace, when you look at Angelina you see sex. Angelina appears naked in a lot of her movies, Michelle got uncomfortable in “Tequila sunrise” when only her behind was shown.
They could never change movies. Can you imagine Angelina in “Dangerous liaisons”? or Michelle in “Original sin”? I can’t. They have one thing in common though. They’re both beautiful, extraordinary actresses who are not afraid of a risky choice in movies.

Let’s face it; Michelle has kind of passed her smoking years (90s) and she’s barely working. I don’t think we can expect a lot more Pfilms. Angelina, on the other hand, is now in her golden period and is constantly making movies. So with Michelle slowing down, I found (though small) a consolation in Angie.

I think it’s OK for Pfans to like other actors. As long as they remember who’s on top!