Hey folks, Harry here. Long time AICNer... Marty McFly writes in with a RAVE for Joel Schumacher's FLAWLESS... I'm sure that the popular belief is to scream 'STUDIO PLANT' due to the kneejerk reaction to Schumacher's name, but folks... I'll tell you something. A couple of times a year, Joel gives me a call here at Geek Headquarters. The most recent was about 3 weeks ago. Joel is going through a bit of a change here. He seems to be wanting to get back to his roots... He's writing again... something he used to do before his foray into Directing. He seems to want to reteach himself the basic fundementals... going back to make smaller, character and story driven material. With his next film, he's cast a complete unknown in the title role. I'm continuing to watch Joel's career with much interest, and I hope this film is as good as Marty here says...

Marty here. I wasn't going to write a review for the film but after
seeing Joel Schumacher's new film Flawless, I felt compelled to write a
review up to let AICN readers know exactly what this film is. We all
know now when Schumacher's name is involved the project seems to have a
foul stench around it and I agree, after Batman Forever, I really didn't
like Joel. He had ruined a great franchise in my mind but I was at
least able to forgive him. Then Batman and Robin came out and it was
worse than the third one. Then 8MM, which had a lot going for it if
Joel and Nic Cage hadn't messed with Andrew Kevin Walker's script.

Now, ol' Joel has one back to doing something he hasn't done since St.
Elmo's Fire, directing his own script. Going into this film, though the
bad ones were stuck in my head, I tried to remember I liked a lot of
Joel's films. I loved The Lost Boys and Falling Down, I liked St.
Elmo's Fire and his Grisham movies were decent. However, knowing that
it starred Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Robert DeNiro, I went in hoping
for the best.

Let me get a quick little basic plot setup in. DeNiro plays a security
guard who suffers a stroke while trying to stop a murder and is left
partially paralyzed. Unable to speak clearly, he is told singing
lessons will help his speech to get better, so he asks a drag queen,
played by Hoffman, to teach him to sing. The movie then follows the
relationship between this bitter prejudiced man and this "woman trapped
in man's body", as he/she says.

A strange plot, no doubt, but Joel pulls it off. Joel has written a
very funny, heartwarming, offbeat script. Most of the credit must be
given to his cast though. It's funny how when DeNiro is great in a
movie I hardly ever notice it anymore because I'm so used to it. Its
very easy to forget about his performance when Phil Hoffman's part is
written for whoever played it to steal every scene they're in. Not for
one moment though did I think DeNiro hadn't suffered a stroke. His
speech is slurred most of the film and you can't understand half his
lines, but what he can't do verbally, he does with his body and eyes.
You see a man, once a heroic security guard, who now can't move around
his apartment without a cane, and you see he really doesn't want to live
anymore.

I can say how good Hoffman was by saying that many people I saw the
film is who aren't familiar with him thought he was a real drag queen.
Then I'd say "That was Rusty from Twister" or "That was Scotty from
Boogie Nights" and their jaws would drop. Hoffman could have easily
went over the top for this role but he plays it just right. He's loud
and in your face like most drag queens when they perform, but he turns
it down a notch for the scenes where he's with DeNiro, teaching him or
just talking about his personal life. Watch for a scene where he comes
home, wearing a suit and not in any make-up. It has Oscar written all
over it. Wait, come to think of it, the whole part has Oscar written
all over it.

As for Joel, as I said before, his script is good except for a stupid
drug money being stolen subplot that really gets in the way throughout
the film. His directing style is very different here. The film looks
like an indie and even like it was shot with a home video camera in some
scenes. It works though, as does his odd selection of music by Bruce
Roberts. Joel has redeemed himself a bit in my mind and he will
probably gain a little more respect with this film. So, due in very
large part to his actors, Joel has made a good movie and maybe he'll
start making more like this. Hopefully this will be a moderate success
and he won't feel the need fill his bank account by doing another
Batman. I'll see ya in the future!