Personne n'est parfait(e)

FLAWLESS / (1999) **1/2 (out of four)

By Blake French:

Somewhere in "Flawless" there is a very good movie, but it is shuttered by the awkwardness of a jumbled plot. There are two separate stories here, and although they are interrelated, either one by itself would be enough for a whole movie. Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman make a chemistry-rich pair, both entertaining and amusing, and their screen presence is deserving of a lot of attention-it is tragic that not one but two different stories get in the way of their electric charisma together.

The first storyline details a homophobic former New York City security officer named Walt Koontz (Robert De Niro) who, at the beginning of the movie, has a stroke while rushing to a nearby crime scene. He is burdened with partial paralysis on the right side of his body and speech problems, which can be overcome with the help of his neighbor, Rusty Zimmerman (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a flamboyantly gay drag queen who often practices his musically vocal abilities with fellow friends in drag. Walt's physical therapist recommends singing lessons from Rusty.

The other story involves a criminal named Mr. Z and his attempts to find the incompetent people who stole a large sum of cash belonging to him. As Walt'z recovery continues, and the relationship between him and Rusty becomes more stable, various characters must react to the danger of Mr. Z and his clan of criminals.

What makes this movie so amusing is the interesting personality clash between the characters of Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman. I just wish De Niro's character was more active; for much of the production he is nothing but a metronome who is unable to speak or even move much. Some of the elements involving the gay drag queens are hilarious and contribute to the movie's effective mood, and Philip Seymour Hoffman is so deliciously clever as Rusty that I would nominate his performance for an Oscar almost immediately. The dialogue is witty and intelligent ("I need some butch faggots over here."), taking advantage of the situations applicable and giving the movie a surprising emotionally gentle side.

Not much else of "Flawless" is gentle, though. The overwhelming majority of the movie is gritty, rough material intended for adult audiences only. The vulgarism and profanity seemingly never stop and the coarse atmosphere is prevalent. The film is shot in a grainy, high-contrast style, with excellent cinematography and mood development. None of this shocks us, however, since the film's director, Joel Schumacher, was behind such perverse movies like "A Time To Kill," "8MM," and "Tigerland."

"Flawless" has a lot of decent material but it just does not fit together because of the plot distractions. Too much plot has never really been an issue for Joel Schumacher; in "A Time to Kill" and "8MM" he found focus with a central character, here he finds likable traits in two main characters, but allows the plot to control their inspirational qualities. If Schumacher were to reexamine this script with a different perspective, perhaps cutting the Mr. Z plot entirely, maybe it would work more effectively. As it currently stands, "Flawless" is a movie in which the actors work hard to overcome a plot heavy script and they do reign victorious in a few battles, but eventually lose the war.

I saw this film on a plane and thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly the performance of Philip Seymour Hoffmann whom I found spectacular as a lonely, vulnerable, witty drag queen reaching out to recent stroke victim, homophobic DeNiro.

The two of them were marvelous - and the end of the film had an outtake of Hoffmann and DeNiro practicing "The Name Game" that alone was worth the entire movie.

There were certainly stereotypes among the minor characters but the plot was good and so was the acting.

My acting teacher used to describe plays/films like "Virginia Wolff" as love stories. Using his criteria of two people coming together, sharing experiences and touching each other's hearts - Flawless certainly qualifies as an atypical love story.

While the film itself certainly has it's shortcomings, Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance embodies the film's title. While a lesser actor would have taken the role of Rusty as a caricature of gay and transgender stereotypes, Hoffman performs the role with deep sensitivity and respect for the trials of someone living a misunderstood life. Robert De Niro is also believable as a gritty police officer recovering from a stroke.

The most powerful thing about this film is that it doesn't gloss over stereotypes, but still makes the viewer feel compassion for both characters. Deniro's cop goes through a huge transformation from homophobe to someone who learns the value of people whom he may not fully understand, and does so with a delicate, nuanced touch.

I love this movie, even if only for the scene with Hoffman talking to the Log Cabin Republican about their own bias against more flamboyant gays. It's powerful and true, and one of the only films to address the issue, even if only briefly.

I will start by saying RIP Phillip Seymour Hoffman - his acting talents were magnificent and we truly lost a special person. Every one of his films is acted with passion and dedication and "Flawless" is no different. He is special in this and his portrayal of the fierce drag queen is tender and heartfelt whilst also being fierce and powerful. Robert De Niro is of course brilliant in his role and really did an incredible job playing a stroke survivor - that is no easy feat and he has put his all in to every movement and every word spoken. This film should be watched for the acting talent and energy of these two actors alone as well as the character study of two very interesting people who find themselves with unique challenges to face in life. The cinematography is not top notch (the film was made in '99 so it does have a rustic quality) but it's perfectly fine. The focus here is on the characters, colourful and frantically trying to find connections in a difficult world. They are flawed in some ways through sheer stubborness or quick tempers but they aren't all that different when it comes down to it - they are both flawed in similar ways and maybe that's why their friendship works. It doesn't feel forced - it grows naturally and their chemistry is on fire. I loved this film - it depicts the world of drag queens wonderfully and the difficulties members of the LGBT community faced in the 90's. For the time it was made I applaud it - it hasn't tried to sugar coat anything and it has thrust us in to a layered and colourful and magical environment.

Loved it loved it loved it .

It's on Netflix UK right now so watch it.

I am sorry to say that I saw this movie for the first time today. You know they say hind sight is 20/20. I remember when the previews for the movie were out and I thought that looks like a really great movie. It was an incredible movie.

De Niro is exceptional as the homophobic former hero cop with a speech impediment due to a stroke. Hoffman is wonderful as the singing drag queen. The chemistry between the characters is true to life and heartfelt. When they come together, we see that their dissimilar lives are not so dissimilar at all. They are both overcoming some of the same trials and tribulations just over different things. They develop an amazing bond that will help them through the tough times.

A Flawlessly Beautiful Movie.