Continuing with our Hollywood streak, we’ve got Steve Kloves’ THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS, starring real-life brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges as big-screen brothers in a jazz piano duo. Finding their gigs ever fewer and farther between, the duo decides to become a trio and hires a singer in the sultry form of Michelle Pfeiffer.
Jeff’s the womanizing one with more innate talent. Beau’s the business-minded one who’s willing to do the dirty work, like deliver the hacky lines that get them through their shows each night. It’s clear from the beginning that the duo is ready to split, and Pfeiffer is just the final nail in the coffin, when her relationship with Jeff gets out of control.
Once again, there isn’t much here in the way of story that hasn’t been seen before, but it’s the way the story is told and the way these specific characters are observed that makes THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS memorable. All three leads are great in their roles, and all three roles are multi-dimensional and surprising.
The other great thing the movie has going for it is its subtlety. No one is too much of any one thing. Jeff and Beau are both believable as humans before character types, and Pfeiffer is able to transform what might be relegated to a thankless role in another movie into a complex individual.
Part of this is thanks to the performances, the other part is thanks to the writing and direction by Kloves who went on to great success as the guy tasked with adapting all the HARRY POTTER books to the big screen, and somehow managing to make them all good. He also adapted THE WONDER BOYS, one of my all time favorites.
The movie is also beautifully shot by Michael Ballhaus on location in Seattle. I’ve never seen the city made to look so good and so moody. They really exploit a lot of great locations and scenery, giving the film a very unique look and feel.
All of this comes together in the most famous scene, which has Pfeiffer slinking seductively onto, off of and around Jeff Bridges' grand piano while she sings "Makin' Whoopie." It's so beautifully shot and perfectly performed, it wouldn't have even had to be sexy to be memorable. But it's sexy, anyway.
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