6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
An ultraconservative police officer suffers a debilitating stroke and is assigned to a rehabilitative program that includes singing lessons - with the drag queen next door.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Miller (I), Chris Bauer, Skipp SudduthCrime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.83:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Where have we seen this before? A crusty elder, beset with certain health problems, forges an unlikely friendship with another tenant in his building who just happens to be gay. A violent attack by some neighborhood thugs is a salient plot point, but against all odds this oil and water pair ultimately are able to mix, at least more or less. Admittedly Flawless doesn’t offer a waitress with a sick son, a cute little dog or even a road trip, but there’s a certain similarity to As Good as It Gets, at least in general setup if not in tone or execution. In this particular instance, the older guy is not beset with an obsessive compulsive disorder, but has the physical infirmity of repercussions from a stroke. Similarly, the gay man in this outing is not “merely” gay, but a cross-dresser who longs for sex reassignment surgery. Flawless never completely connects its manifold dots, but it provides showcases for stars Robert De Niro (as afflicted cop Walter Koontz) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (as drag queen Rusty). Perhaps surprisingly predictable and formulaic given its somewhat unusual premise, Flawless doesn’t exactly live up to its title but stands as one of the first films that showed what a titanic force Hoffman could be, especially considering the difficulties inherent in this particular role.
Flawless is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.83:1. Elements are in generally very good condition, with only very minor damage and age related issues showing up. Colors have maintained a generally very nice authenticity, with detail and fine detail (especially in close-ups) at overall very commendable levels. Schumacher and cinematographer Declan Quinn favor somewhat gritty, naturalistic lighting schemes, a choice which is not always fully supported by slightly anemic contrast and at times milky black levels. However, despite an abundance of fairly dark scenes scattered throughout the film, there are no signs of compression artifacts. In brightly lit environments (which can include interior locales like the drag club stage), colors pop very well and detail in costumes is excellent. There are no issues with image instability, and as is the case with virtually all Olive releases, no signs of excessive digital intrusion, with the result being a natural and organic looking presentation.
This is the rare Olive Films release that features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and Flawless offers good opportunity for some sonic immersion in its use of both source cues and on screen sung sequences. Otherwise, though, this is a fairly front-centric track, offering dialogue and even some environmental effects never venturing much out of the center position. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range rather wide for such an ostensibly intimate outing.
Joel Schumacher has had a somewhat middling track record as a director, with some big box office hits which were nonetheless ruthlessly disparaged by critics. Flawless didn't even have the benefit of people lining up in droves at the ticket counter, but perhaps ironically it's one of Schumacher's more effective outings. De Niro offers yet another brilliant portrayal, overcoming some of Schumacher the scenarist's too convenient character tropes. Hoffman is saddled with a much more difficult role in some ways (despite De Niro's need to mimic a stroke victim's maladies), and as a relative newcomer the "seams" may show a bit more in his performance, but he's still very effective, especially in scenes he shares with De Niro. The film would have been more moving had Schumacher jettisoned some of the tangential material, elements which do admittedly provide color but which also distract from the focal duo. Technical merits are very good on this release, and for the performances alone Flawless comes Recommended.
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