Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- awkward
- intimate
- character drama night
- 1990s film retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly agreed that Robert De Niro and especially Philip Seymour Hoffman's performances brought warmth and humanity to a misguided, uneven dramedy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Walt Koontz's homophobia and Rusty's contempt for closed-minded straight people shape their antagonistic relationship before therapy brings them into closer contact.
Walt's stroke and paralyzed vocal cords, alongside Rusty's marginalized identity, make bodily vulnerability and isolation central to their bond.
Rusty's characterization is grounded in quiet human details and avoids reducing a pre-operative transgender neighbor to a one-note drag-comedy figure.
Walt's singing lessons and physical therapy provide the recurring situation through which the two prejudiced neighbors confront one another.
Films like Flawless, and why
The Birdcage
shared dramatic comedy, unlikely friendship, and prejudice confronted through intimate character work
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
shared lgbtq+ themes, fish out of water dynamics, and warm but uneven comedy-drama tone
As Good as It Gets
shared urban character study, abrasive protagonists, and themes of loneliness and emotional reconciliation
The Score
shared crime-inflected drama, difficult male friendship, and social prejudice examined through performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Joel Schumacher
- Release Date
- 1999-11-26
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (320)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Barry Miller
- Chris Bauer
- Skipp Sudduth
- Wilson Jermaine Heredia
- Nashom Benjamin
- Scott Allen Cooper
- Rory Cochrane
- Daphne Rubin-Vega
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Flawless about?
- After a stroke silences a prejudiced ex-cop, singing lessons from his transgender neighbor force both men to reconsider the walls separating them.
- What is Flawless like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Flawless as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Flawless violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Flawless as mild.
- What did critics think of Flawless?
- Critics broadly agreed that Robert De Niro and especially Philip Seymour Hoffman's performances brought warmth and humanity to a misguided, uneven dramedy.
- Which films are like Flawless?
- Films with a similar feel include The Birdcage, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, As Good as It Gets, and The Score.
- How long is Flawless?
- Flawless runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Flawless?
- In United States, Flawless streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
