by Yazmin Ghonaim

FLAWLESS Joel Schumacher (1999) Written and directed by Joel Schumacher, Flawless explores the uneasy relationship between Walt Koontz (Robert De Niro), a conservative, retired security guard, and his neighbor Rusty Zimmerman (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a drag queen and singer. Both live and avoid each other in a run-down building in the Lower East Side of New York City. Walt is reminded of his respectable occupation and of the days of heroic commitment to the job by a display of photographs and awards of recognition in his living room. Around his solitude he has built a comfortable routine of nightly visits to a dance hall and a practical affair with his favorite dancing partner. Walt's routine is unexpectedly shattered, however, when late one night he suffers a stroke. Angered and humiliated by his resulting condition, he retreats from the outside world and initiates an exploration of the immediate people around him; people which he habitually repudiates yet which he must learn to rely on. Having successfully set up the differences between its characters, these are confronted with situations in which they start needing each other. The result is an exploration of the tolerance of one character for the other, and their hard-earned realization that friendship may well stand outside of age, gender, and personal inclination. Notably, the superb performances by both De Niro and Hoffman make Flawless a film which finds both drama and humor in its portrayal of these important issues.		DVD Music Books Search by keywords:
Outstanding Features: Acting, Character Development Flawless Movie Review © 1999 Cinephiles - All rights reserved.