Personne n'est parfait(e)

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.

Flawless is a film that is about performances from two fantastic leading men and no so much about the story or the plot itself. The movie is about an ex homophobic cop who suffers a stroke while trying to save a girl , who happens to be a friend of his gay transvestite neighbour , during a run in with some drug dealers. His doctor tells him the best way to improve his speech is to start singing lessons. He plucks up courage to ask his neigbour to teach him to sing. This film is about how the relationship grows between these two very different people and how they both work together to overcome their very different problems. De Niro is back to his best after some very average movies and the acting from Phillip Seymour Hoffman is just outstanding. I have seen Hoffman in other films such as Boogie Nights and Magnolia and was impressed then but this is his best to date. I love this film and i think you will to. Dont miss it.

This film may prove to be a little overly long, but is easily saved by it's two stars, Robert de Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Especially the latter is GREAT!

If this film is deemed any competition to "In & Out", it beats this film by MILES! Don't miss it! And the soundtrack, especially the tango is alluring and seductive.

‘Flawless' is an offbeat story about Walter Koontz (Robert De Niro) an ex-cop who suffers a stroke and loses partial ability to speak. In an effort to regain some of his speech capabilities it is recommended to him that he take singing lessons. So he decides to ask his neighbor Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who is a female impersonator, to give him singing lessons. This is an unlikely pairing because Walter is a belligerent homophobe.

This film was written and directed by Joel Schumacher. His story, though peculiar, makes some powerful points. This is a story about hatred, bigotry and reconciliation. Walter learns through his disability who his friends really are, and who they are not. It seems that the people he hates treat him a lot better than the people he thought he loved. Ultimately, he is able to look past his prejudices to find the human elements that make him and Rusty not so different after all.

This was an excellent character study of both main characters, giving a lot of insight into the motivations and lives of each. Unfortunately, the story meanders too often to irrelevant characters and scenes that don't really contribute much (like the Gay Republicans). Schumacher would have been better to concentrate on the relationship between Walter and Rusty rather than digressing so frequently into Rusty's relationships with his friends.

De Niro was outstanding in this film. Not only was he excellent in the emotional portrayal of a man having to deal with a sudden debilitating stroke, but he was very realistic in his portrayal of the physical disability itself. The combination of his struggles to do the simplest of tasks and the obvious look of anguish and frustration on his face was poignant and affecting.

Hoffman brought a lot of emotional energy to his part, and his imitation of a drag queen was passable, though somewhat forced and unnatural. Wilson Jermaine Heredia, who played Cha-Cha, the winner of the Flawless contest, was a much more convincing queen.

I rated this film a 7/10. This is a good film that helps us understand that the remedy for the fear wrought of our differences is understanding, not hatred. In that respect it makes an important contribution. If cross dressing and blatantly gay themes put you off, perhaps you should defy your inclinations and see it.

An unlikely bond is formed between a conservative, retired New York City cop who has suffered a stroke, and a drag queen, in `Flawless,' written and directed by Joel Schumacher. Walter Koontz (Robert De Niro) is paralyzed on his right side, his speech is impaired and he can barely walk; to overcome his speech difficulties, he is encouraged by his doctor to try singing lessons, which in some cases like his have proved effective. Toward that end, he hires Rusty Zimmerman (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a neighbor in his apartment building, who performs at a local club in town. Formerly at odds with one another, the two form an alliance for their mutual benefit; Walter needs help, and Rusty needs the money. De Niro, as always, turns in an outstanding performance here, so physically convincing and shading Walter's disability with such finesse, that you forget that this is an actor playing a role. Such is the magic De Niro can weave on the screen. Hoffman, too, is excellent as Rusty, the tortured soul who wouldn't wish his life on anyone, and who can readily identify with Walter's newly acquired sense of isolation and helplessness. He understands self-pity and tries to help Walter get past his own. There is nuance to his performance through which he conveys so well Rusty's subtle anxieties and the feeling of rancor that surrounds him, and with which he must live every day of his life. Also notable in a supporting role is Skipp Sudduth as Walter's friend, Tommy, who must deal with his own confusion in dealing with Walter's situation, and the people with whom he now finds him involved. Previous to the stroke, drag queens were definitely not a part of their immediate circle of friends. The supporting cast includes Barry Miller (Leonard), Christopher Bauer (Jacko), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Tia) and Karina Arrovave (Amber). Schumacher has deftly crafted a character study that examines diversity and proffers the rewards of a symbiotic existence. The message here is that no one is flawless; we're imperfect creatures living together in an imperfect world, and if we can only get beyond ourselves and our prejudices, we just may find that gold at the end of the rainbow. `Flawless' is not without it's own flaws, either; some of the scenes involving the other drag queens and some of the criminal elements involved are somewhat overplayed at times, but that's a minor complaint. This film is deeply felt without being sentimental, and sheds some light on the human condition. It holds up a mirror to all of us, and asks the flawless among us to step forward. I rate this one 7/10.