Flawless (1999)

Could be better

Excelent story and fantastic performance of Hoffman, bud de Niro dind't seem confortable in hos character. could be better. June 5, 2008

Philip Seymour Hoffman's Genius Shines!

Watching this amazing film was, at times, painful for me, because Hoffman seemed to be channeling the famous San Francisco drag Queen, 'Valentine.' He looked just like him and his mannerisms were right on. The scenario seems a bit far-fetched even in New York City, but who knows, it could happen. All of the actors were excellent in their roles and both DeNiro and Hoffman seemed to be getting a kick out of playing their scenes together. It takes me back to the early 90s when 'Valentine' and I were dear friends and just trying to stay alive in a very rich city. Our lives took different turns and he stayed and I returned to New York. While I will never see him again, I can see his spirit in the performance of Philip Seymour Hoffman whenever I watch this film. April 7, 2008

Not FLAWLESS, but still an enjoyable film.

How my ratings work:
5 - I really liked/loved it
4 - I liked it
3 - Could've been better/worth a look
2 - Just didn't live up to the potential
1 - Simply aweful

True this film has some (and others would say many) flaws in it, but just about every movie does. One of the biggest would be the whole drug dealer plot. So why do I give this movie 5 stars? For many reasons.

1) I enjoy the performances; DeNiro and Hoffman are superb in their roles and work well off each other. I even like the supporting roles, even if they are over the top at times.

2) I like the main story and theme; how two very different people can connect. Walter and Rusty share one thing in common, lonliness, a desire for companionship (in love and in friendship).

3) I think it's well made, production wise. The music works well and the look of the cinematography gives it a grimey yet hopeful feel. The sets and costumes are also good.

4) And the final reason for the rating is writer/director Joel Schumacher. After his disaster with the Batman films he did, and others people may have not liked, Schumacher has returned to basics with simpler projects. He's wokring his way back up in the film ladder; Phantom of the Opera was his return to the bigger budgeted films, and he did well with that.

This film is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but people should give it a chance. December 14, 2007

A Class Act All The Way

Whether or not you like this film will depend largely on how you feel about the plot. A story about a musically inclined drag queen who teaches a paralyzed stroke victim how to sing in a crumbling apartment building, while a local gangster and his goons terrorize the inhabitants looking for drug money won't appeal to everyone. That said, I absolutely loved it. Even if the drug money subplot is a bit contrived, the outstanding performances of Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman more than make up for the deficiency. De Niro practically becomes Walt Koontz, the cop-turned-security guard who suffers a stroke and must seek out singing lessons from Hoffman's character, Rusty, a part that Hoffman completely nails. It is difficult to imagine any other actors playing these roles so effectively. Descriptions of both actors' performances have been given in previous reviews, so I won't elaborate here.

The film also strikes the right balance between comedy and drama. It is neither completely a comedy nor completely a drama, it is both. It is emotionally moving while also extremely funny, but never at the same time. It would have been easy for the film to teeter too far onto either end of the spectrum, but it manages to stay in the middle and never overwhelms the viewer with a single emotion.

The title of the film is also interesting. "Flawless" serves both as the name of the drag queen competition in the film and as an ironic description of the two main characters. Although the drag queens strive to be "flawless," the irony is, of course, that no one in the film is flawless. The majority of the plot is concerned with two deeply flawed characters and their process of overcoming both their prejudices against each other and their own self loathing and self pity. The film does a good job of illuminating the concept of human frailty - the flawed nature of human beings and their constant attempts to rise above it.

Overall, an excellent film. May 22, 2007

OFF THE WALL FILM DE NIRO AND HOFFMAN ARE TERRIFIC

This is NOT your average buddy movie. De Niro and Hoffman are truly genius in their portrayals of two very different men. De Niro plays the man's man security guard and Hoffman plays a not so pretty drag queen. Fate crosses their paths and wackiness ensues! Both leads should have been nominated for Oscars in this Comedy/Drama. The film features some great acting and a well written script that will have you laughing one minute and breaking your heart the next. There is a sub plot about a drug dealer looking for a large amount of money stolen from him that some viewers found awkward but, I thought it was an important part of the story and it brought these two complete opposites together despite their differences. A one of a kind film mixing drama, comedy and action
.....you'll either love it or you'll hate it! I LOVED IT! March 25, 2007

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