Flawless

MGM Home Video

Starring Robert De Niro and Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Directed by Joel Schumacher

Review by Joe Barlow

You have to pity poor Joel Schumacher. Not only is he accused of single-handedly destroying the Batman franchise, but his last film, the bleak 8mm, was ridiculed by the majority of critics in America. I can visualize Schumacher's conversation with himself: "Hmm, I've just made several critical duds in a row. What am I doing wrong? Let's see. The Batman films and 8mm all share dark, creepy atmospheres, and that genre's obviously not working for me. Let's go the opposite route on the follow-up."

It's almost cute the way Schumacher rolls with the punches, and it's no surprise that in Flawless, a title that almost dares critics to hate the movie, the writer/director tries to play it safe — or at least as safe as any film which centers around a flamboyant transvestite can be said to be. Everything here seems specifically constructed to avoid friction, and it's the movie's single biggest problem: everything has been so homogenized that what could have been a fascinating film comes out as a cinematic vanilla pudding, lacking any sort of flavor whatsoever.

Walter Koonz (Robert De Niro) is a cranky ex-cop and raging homophobe who finds himself partially paralyzed and unable to speak after suffering a stroke. Embarrassed by his condition, Koonz begins taking voice lessons from Rusty Zimmerman (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a local transvestite who adheres to every gay stereotype and cliché imaginable. You'll no doubt be shocked to learn that as they grow closer, they form a deep bond. Just consider this the low-calorie version of As Good as it Gets.

Flawless desperately wants to be The Odd Couple, and there are moments in which it comes close, drawing us into the lives of the characters as they come to terms with each other and their differences. Both De Niro and Hoffman are engaging actors, with Hoffman's bubbling screen persona serving as an effective counterpoint to De Niro's gruff demeanor. They each have a firm handle on two very challenging characters (De Niro actually wore weights in his clothes to help him prepare for his role as a stroke victim), and they work well together.

But sadly, the performances are all Flawless has going for it. The few sparks of fire De Niro and Hoffman are able to inject into the story are quickly extinguished by Schumacher's adherence to the lowest common denominator, such as the laughable finale, which is so deeply mired in clichés that it's hard to resist the temptation to hurl popcorn at the screen. Nor is the drama helped by the unimaginative shooting methods employed by the director. We may as well be watching a TV sitcom.

I'll give Schumacher an 'A' for effort: with Flawless he's demonstrated a willingness to deviate from his previous work, and he's created a film with the potential for power and drama. Unfortunately, the director does not yet appear to have either the confidence or ability to helm a project which requires such depth; hence, we're treated to countless gay stereotypes and unimaginative plot twists (Stolen drug money? Yawn). Oh well. It was a nice try, Joel, and I mean that. Maybe next time.

— Joe Barlow

Color
1.85:1 widescreen
Single-sided, single-layer disc
English and Spanish audio tracks
French and Spanish subtitles
Theatrical trailer
Keep-case

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