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A Study In Humanity

Reviewer | 06/25/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A retired, conservative New York City policeman and a drag queen manage to overcome some significant barriers between them, to form an alliance for their mutual benefit in "Flawless," written and directed by Joel Schumacher. In his apartment building, Walter Koontz (Robert De Niro) suffers a stroke while coming to the aid of some neighbors who are trying to elude a gunman; two people are killed in what turns out to be a matter concerning some money stolen from a local drug dealer. Walter ends up with his right side paralyzed, barely able to walk, and his speech impaired; which is one of the major obstacles he must learn to overcome. He is encouraged to try singing lessons in an effort to learn how to speak again. To that end, he enlists the help of a neighbor, with whom he had heretofore been at odds, a drag queen named Rusty Zimmerman (Philip Seymour Hoffman). "Busty Rusty," as he is billed at the club where he works, is saving for a sex-change operation, and can use the extra money, so he accepts the job. This leads to an unlikely bond between Walter, a man who values his independence, and Rusty, a tortured soul who wouldn't wish his life upon anyone. Rusty can identify with the sense of isolation Walter is feeling from being unable to do for himself any longer; he understands his self-pity, and helps him try to get past it: "I've been to that pity-party myself," Rusty tells him. Meanwhile, the tension throughout the building remains high; the drug dealer is convinced that his money is being kept by one of the residents, and the constant presence of his hired goons becomes a menace to everyone who lives there. Ultimately Walter and Rusty become involved in it, which leads to a climax that pointedly illustrates the magnanimity of the human spirit. De Niro, as expected, turns in a sterling performance here; he is so physically convincing, shading Walter's disability with such finesse, that you forget that this is an actor playing a role. There is no De Niro on the screen; this is, in fact, a man named Walter Koontz. Hoffman, as well, turns in a brilliant performance, imbuing Rusty with every nuance; he aptly conveys his subtle anxieties and the rancor that surrounds him, and with which he must live, every day of his life. Skipp Sudduth does a good job, also, as Walter's friend, Tommy, who must work through his own confusion in dealing with Walter's situation, and the people with which he now finds him involved; before 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 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 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."

Flawed, (not Flawless) but still a good tale with heart.

skunktrain | So. California, USA | 03/30/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To me, the premise of this movie was simple: Pair up two "misfits" who need acceptance, and find this acceptance in each other. And it does work, for the most part. Robert De Niro is a grumpy, homophobic retired cop who is humbled and mortified after a stroke makes him semi-parilyzed, and slurs his speech. He tries to shut himself off from the world, and from his "old life" as a cop with a heroic past. The other half of this odd teacm is Philip Seymour Hoffman (who gives an AMAZING performance). He plays an overweight drag queen who obviously has a lot of emotional scar tissue from a life full of rejection and heartbreak. He's a wonderful character--full of funny one-liners and a self-depreciating wit. But underneath his sarcastic humor is a lot of raw pain. The two start out as antagonistic neighbors, until De Niro is "desperate" enough to ask for singing lessons from Hoffman. The singing lessons will help him improve his slurred speech, and Hoffman is an accessable voice teacher--it's just too inconvenient for De Niro to travel any farther in the slippery snow.So, these two start a tenuous friendship. And we see that they have a lot in common--both feel like rejects. De Niro cannot accept his disability, and feels like his "old" life is over. Hoffman just wants to be accepted, and finds that getting some understanding an acceptance from a person like De Niro is an interesting concept. Both need to be understood as they are *now*. And by the end of the film, they both realize that they can have this acceptance. There's also a sub-plot involving an evil gangster looking to recover his stolen money, but the main point of the film (in my opinion) is in these two main characters, and their "odd couple" relationship. The story is a little flawed; I felt something was missing at the end. The sub-plot with the gangsters was OK, but not that compelling. It was needed to move the story's conflict and drama along, but it wasn't as important as the two main characters.I really enjoyed this film. The performances were wonderful, and I liked its message--that compassion is something that we all need to give, and to receive. And that we all need to stop being so hard on ourselves, and also on others."