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!