Flawless (1999)

Who could possibly be the target audience for Flawless? Walter (Robert De Niro) is a homophobic policeman who suffers a stroke while responding to gunshots in his own apartment building; for speech therapy, he starts taking singing lessons from his neighbor Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman of Magnolia, Boogie Nights, and Happiness), a gay drag queen who's saving up money for a sex-change operation. However, there's another story line that takes up at least as much time as that one, about a drug dealer and his goons trying to find money that was stolen from them, brutally beating up everyone in their path. Furthermore, the local gay community (in New York City) seems to consist entirely of drag queens and Log Cabin Republicans, and one of Walter's cop buddies goggles at drag queens as if he's just arrived from the middle of Iowa. All the characters--including various prostitutes, drug dealers, a hotel clerk who's a weaselly mama's boy, as well as the aforementioned drag queens and cops--are horrific stereotypes. De Niro and Hoffman, both extremely talented actors, do all they can to overcome their cliché-studded dialogue, but they never seem to be in the same movie. Written and directed by Joel Schumacher, whose eclectic career includes Batman & Robin, A Time to Kill, Flatliners, and St. Elmo's Fire. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com

Loved it!!

This movie showed me that within a blink of an eye, our lives can change and the people we least expect, can turn out to be the kindest and most loyal. January 2, 2009

SEYMOUR HOFFMAN IS FLAWLESS

There is one reason and one reason only to see this film and that is the heartbreaking tour de force put on by Seymour Hoffman. He is fantastic in this part of a f**ked up Drag Queen and his interaction with a homophobic stroke victim, Deniro, there is another diverging story of stock Hollywood psychos, in pursuit of something they think Hoffman posseses, but it's really the interaction between Hoffman and Deniro that resonates and makes this film worth viewing. I appreciated how Hoffman played this character, like he really knew her/him, and there is one scene that will stay with me forever, it's just wrenching to watch..anyway, enjoy!!.. October 10, 2008

Funny movie, more entertaining than I imagined

Originally found out about the movie because Daphne Rubin-Vega and Wilson Jermaine Heredia of RENT are in it. And of course while Wilson makes the only really convincing drag queen, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, really stole the movie most of the time. He was so fun and believable. Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, I was not too thrilled with Robert DeNiro. I suppose that is just my experience with paralysis patients making me a bit too judgmental about the little things. He's a great actor in my opinion, this might just not have been the role for him. Also, their storyline was great, but the money storyline they always went back to was a little boring but I guess it was necessary. Overall, a good buy and worth it. But the RENT-head inside my heart screams for more Cha-Cha screen time ;) August 27, 2008

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

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