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''Flawless'' is a 1999 American
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...
comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
written and directed by
Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designer. H ...
and starring
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
and
Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produc ...
.


Plot

Decorated and retired security guard Walter Koontz lives in a downtown apartment complex, where he is in constant conflict with
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
Rusty and his friends. He frequents a night club, from which he conducts a superficial sexual relationship with Karen. At the same time he rejects Tia, deeming her a 'whore'. One night crime boss "Mr. Z" and two goons come to the building looking for the money Amber's boyfriend stole from his organization. Having heard gunshots upstairs, Walt suffers a
stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...
while ascending the stairs to help. He awakens with the right side of his body
paralyzed Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...
resulting in poor speech and posture, and giving him a limp that requires him to use a cane. Walter's ego massively suffers and he becomes ashamed to be seen in public, even skipping therapy, leading to his doctor visiting him at home. His physical therapist, who had been sent to Walt's home by the doctor, recommends a singing teacher to improve his speech. When Walt hails a taxi outside the building, he falls and drops the plan. Rusty desires to have
sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and a ...
, but lacks the money. When Walter comes to Rusty to use his musical talents for singing lessons, the pair, while initially argumentative and uncomfortable with each other, slowly become friends. Walter begins to gain confidence and progress towards resuming a normal life, his speech showing considerable improvement. Meanwhile, after having been told by Rusty that everyone pays in a relationship, including husbands and boyfriends, Walt calls Karen. After she claims rent problems Walt lies that all his money went to therapy, after which she holds off on seeing him. Tia visits his apartment, and they dance and kiss. She leaves however, when Walt states his belief that his former colleague and friend Tommy must have hired her. Walt tells Rusty that a former colleague of him and Tommy abused his friendship by hitching a ride to the airport, after having stolen a fortune from their employer. Rusty responds with his own confession: He had taken Mr. Z's money after the police had vacated the building to pay for her surgery, meaning the singing lessons had been a front. Feeling used again, Walt leaves in anger.
Building superintendent A building superintendent or building supervisor (often shortened to super) is a term used in the United States and Canada to refer to a manager responsible for repair and maintenance in a residential building. They are the first point of contac ...
Leo, who had been threatened by Mr. Z., opens Rusty's medical bill, realizing he has the money. Walt goes back to the nightclub for the first time since his stroke and makes up with Tia. When he returns Leo tells him to ignore any sounds he might hear that night. The three criminals ambush Rusty in his apartment, and Walt goes upstairs again. Together Rusty and Walt manage to kill them. The wounded Walt is loaded into an ambulance, after which Rusty hands the paramedics the cash to get him the best care available. They renew their friendship and singing lessons.


Cast

*
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
as Walter Koontz *
Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produc ...
as Rusty *
Skipp Sudduth Robert Lee "Skipp" Sudduth IV (born August 23, 1956) is an American theater, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his role in the 1998 film '' Ronin'' and his lead in the TV drama ''Third Watch''. Early life and education Bor ...
as Tommy *
Barry Miller Barry Miller may refer to: *Barry Miller (actor) (born 1958), American actor *Barry Miller (politician) Barry Miller (December 25, 1864 – June 20, 1933) was a Texas state legislator and Lieutenant Governor from 1925 to 1931 serving under Gover ...
as Leonard Wilcox *
Chris Bauer Mark Christopher Bauer (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his television work in ''The Wire'', ''Third Watch'', ''True Blood'', ''Survivor's Remorse,'' '' The Deuce and'' the Apple TV+ original science fiction spac ...
as Jacko *
Wilson Jermaine Heredia Wilson Jermaine Heredia (born December 2, 1971) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Angel Dumott Schunard in the Broadway musical ''Rent'', for which he won the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musica ...
as Cha-Cha *
Nashom Wooden Nashom Benjamin Wooden (October 9, 1969 – March 23, 2020) was an American performing artist. Wooden was a member of the electronic dance music band The Ones and performed as a drag queen under the stage name Mona Foot. Biography Wooden was bo ...
as Amazing Grace credited as Nashom Benjamin * Daphne Rubin-Vega as Tia * Rory Cochrane as Pogo * Scott Allen Cooper as Ivana *
Jude Ciccolella Richard Jude Ciccolella (born November 30, 1947) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for playing Mike Novick in the television series '' 24'' from 2001 to 2006. Life and career Ciccolella was born in Burlington, Vermont, and spen ...
as Detective Noonan * Mina Bern as Mrs. Spivak * Penny Balfour as Cristal *
Victor Rasuk Victor Rasuk (born January 15, 1984) is an American actor. Early life Rasuk was born in New York City, to Dominican parents. His mother worked as a seamstress, and his father at an auto shop. He has one brother, actor Silvestre Rasuk, with whom ...
(''uncredited'') as Neighborhood boy * Richie Lamontagne as Carmine the Pizza Boy * Luis Saguar as Mr. Z *
Mitchell Lichtenstein Mitchell Wilson Lichtenstein (born March 10, 1956) is an American actor, writer, producer and director. Early life and education The son of Isabel (née Wilson) and Roy Lichtenstein, he studied acting at Bennington College in Vermont. His fat ...
as Gay Republican Spokesperson * John Enos as Sonny, Rusty's abusive boyfriend *
Karina Arroyave Karina Arroyave (born July 16, 1969) is a Colombian-American actress and playwright. Best known as Bianca Walsh on ‘’As the World Turns’’ (1988-1994), Jamey Ferrel on ‘’ 24’’ (2001-2002), Meirce on ‘’The Blacklist’’ (2021- ...
as Amber *
Wanda De Jesus Wanda De Jesus (born August 26, 1958) is an American actress. She was the fourth actress to portray Santana Andrade in NBC's soap opera '' Santa Barbara''. Aside from her work on soap operas, De Jesus appeared in several TV shows in a guest st ...
as Karen *
Madhur Jaffrey Madhur Jaffrey CBE (née Bahadur; born 13 August 1933) is an Indian-British-American actress, food and travel writer, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing Indian cuisine to the western hemisphere with her debut cookbook ...
as dr. Nirmala * John R. Corcoran as physical therapist LaShaun


Soundtrack

# "
Planet Love "Planet Love" is a song by Taylor Dayne, which was the leading single from the MGM motion picture soundtrack for the 1999 film '' Flawless'', starring Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was released on March 21, 2000. The song was rel ...
" –
Taylor Dayne Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "Love Will ...
(Allee Willis; Bruce Roberts) # "
Half-Breed Half-breed is a term, now considered offensive, used to describe anyone who is of mixed race; although, in the United States, it usually refers to people who are half Native American and half European/white. Use by governments United States I ...
" –
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
(
Al Capps Allan Alfonzo Capps (April 26, 1939 – June 7, 2018) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. Beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, he produced and arranged albums for popular artists such as Cher, ...
; Mary Dean) # "
Lady Marmalade "Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, originally for Nolan's disco group. The song is famous for the repeated refrain of " ''Voulez-vous coucher avec moi''?" in French as part of the chorus, a sexually suggestive line t ...
" (Live) –
Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
(Bob Crewe; Kenny Nolan) # "
When the Money's Gone "When the Money's Gone" is a song was written by Bruce Roberts and Donna Weiss and first released by Bruce Roberts on his 1995 album ''Intimacy''. English musician Elton John provided backing vocals. An uptempo dance remix featuring Kristine W w ...
" – Bruce Roberts (Bruce Roberts; Donna Weiss) # "G.A.Y." –
Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
(
Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
; Watkins; Wilson) # "When Will You Learn" –
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...
(G. O'Dowd;
John Themis John Themis is an Australian-born musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his long-term work with Boy George and Culture Club, collaborating on many of their songs and albums since the 1990s. He also worked on ''Taboo'', a music ...
;
Mike Koglin Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
) # "La Chica Marita" – Marcus Schenkenberg (J. Beauvoir; T. Catania) # "Turn Me Over" – Wonderbox (Monica Murphy) # "Lady Marmalade" – All Saints (Bob Crewe; Kenny Nolan) # "
Sidewalk Talk "Sidewalk Talk" is a song by American record producer John "Jellybean" Benitez from his first extended play, ''Wotupski!?!'' (1984). It was released on October 21, 1984, by EMI Records as the first single from the EP. The song was written by M ...
" –
John "Jellybean" Benitez John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters. H ...
(
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
) # "Can't Stop Love" – Soul Solution (Bobby Guy; Ernie Lake) # "Give It to Me" – Drama Kidz (Danny Sullivan; E. Holterhoff; Jellybean) # "
The Name Game "The Name Game" is a song co-written and performed by Shirley Ellis as a rhyming game that creates variations on a person's name. She explains through speaking and singing how to play the game. The first verse is done using Ellis's first name; t ...
" –
Shirley Ellis Shirley Marie O'Garra (stage name Shirley Ellis, married name Shirley Elliston; January 19, 1929 – October 5, 2005) was an American soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian heritage. She is best known for her novelty hits " The Nitty Gri ...
(
Lincoln Chase Lincoln R. Chase (June 29, 1926 – October 6, 1980) was an American songwriter and occasional recording artist. As a writer, his most notable songs were "Such a Night", " Jim Dandy", and several of Shirley Ellis' hits in the early 1960s incl ...
; Shirley Ellis) # "Whenever You Fall" –
Taylor Dayne Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "Love Will ...
(Taylor Dayne; B.G. Craziose; Ernie Lake; Janice Robinson) # "The Neighborhood" – Bruce Roberts; Gohl; Sarah McLachlan (Bruce Roberts) # "Tia's Tango" – Bruce Roberts; Gohl; Sarah McLachlan (Bruce Roberts) # "Luciano" – Bruce Roberts; Gohl; Sarah McLachlan (Bruce Roberts)


Production


Casting

Hoffman considered De Niro to be the most imposing actor that he had ever worked with, noting how De Niro had the ability during the shooting to "listen" to him as an actor, and in turn, make Hoffman respond similarly because of his unique style of acting. Hoffman felt that his exposure to that level of acting profoundly improved his own abilities as an actor.


Reception

Review-aggregate site
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
reports a 41% approval rating based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10, and a consensus reading: "Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman's ''Flawless'' performances live up to this dramedy's title; unfortunately, they're outweighed by the misguided picture surrounding them." Audiences surveyed by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film a grade of "C" on scale of A+ to F. Hoffman was praised by critics for his ability to avoid clichés in playing such a delicate role. Emily VanDerWerff, a transgender film critic, praised the warmth of his portrayal of Rusty, commenting that "Hoffman’s work is quiet, moving, and humanistic, and it provides the film with a core Schumacher doesn’t remotely earn. No matter; this is another movie worth seeing almost entirely for the titanic work Hoffman does near its center."
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
highlighted Hoffman as "one of the best new character actors", remarking that he was "able to take a flamboyant role and find the quiet details in it". Hoffman received a
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
nomination for Best Lead Actor.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flawless (1999 Film) 1999 films 1990s buddy comedy-drama films 1990s crime comedy-drama films 1999 LGBT-related films American buddy comedy-drama films American crime comedy-drama films American LGBT-related films 1990s English-language films Films directed by Joel Schumacher Films with screenplays by Joel Schumacher Films set in New York City LGBT-related comedy-drama films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films about trans women Transgender-related films Drag (clothing)-related films 1990s American films Films about anti-LGBT sentiment Films about disability