to say". Praising its cast, musical numbers and cinematography, Maslin felt the familiarity of its characters "does nothing to make them less dazzlingly attractive", despite finding some scenes and plotlines unnecessary. Desson Howe of The Washington Post was complimentary towards both the leads' performances and Ballhaus' lighting. Praising the performances of Pfeiffer and Jeff, the Los Angeles Times film critic Sheila Benson called The Fabulous Baker Boys "as salty and sexy and unhousebroken a movie as you could hope to find", while film critic Emanuel Levy lauded Kloves's direction, crediting it with bolstering each cast member's performance. Pfeiffer received unanimous acclaim for her performance, with several reviewers commenting on her physical appearance and sex appeal. Maslin called Pfeiffer an unexpected but "electrifyingly right" choice for the role. Film critic Roger Ebert labeled The Fabulous Baker Boys "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." Ebert also compared Pfeiffer's performance to those by actresses Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe. Writing for The Washington Post, Rita Kempley described Pfeiffer as "slinky and cynical, more Bacall than Bacall. Like the sun through a magnifying glass, she burns an image on the screen." Awarding Pfeiffer the title ”sexiest woman in the movies”, Steve Simels of Entertainment Weekly credited her performance with salvaging the film, with which he was otherwise unimpressed. Hailing Pfeiffer as "the sexiest presence in movies today and an exceptional comic and dramatic actress," Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers felt the film would simply "evaporate" without Pfeiffer, concluding, "make no mistake: It's Michelle Pfeiffer who puts the 'fabulous' into Baker Boys." Both Jeff and Beau's performances were also widely praised. Schickel called the actors "better than fabulous - Jeff not quite falling over the line into unredeemable cynicism, Beau never succumbing to the pull of moral blandness." Writing for The Buffalo News, Jeff Simon said "Pfeiffer is so sensationally alluring [that it] might blind you to how good the Bridges brothers are", particularly praising Beau's performance. Maslin felt Beau was provided with his own "chance to shine", embodying "the seniority Frank needs to keep the unruly, undependable