Flawless

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Flawless

R

1999

1h 52m

Comedy

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A former security guard, Walt Koontz (Robert De Niro), experiences a severe stroke, and must begin physical therapy after leaving the hospital. Part of Walt's recovery program includes regaining his speech by taking singing lessons, and he gets paired with Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a vocal instructor and neighbor. Walt, however, is extremely homophobic, and Rusty is flamboyantly gay and awaiting gender reassignment surgery, so the two don't have an easy start to their relationship.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Emanuel Levy

Variety

Jul 3, 2006

D

Outdated and schematic, this two-character melodrama belongs to the 1970s, when transsexuals were "novel" dramatic persona; even the gifted Philip Seymour Hoffman is defeated by the writing and direction.

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Steve Murray

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Feb 21, 2004

Its weary clichs and flat comic bits are apparently supposed to be fresh and insightful.

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David Wood

BBC.com

Apr 17, 2001

3/5

The involvement of several real-life drag queens contributes to both the exhuberence, authenticity, and sheer panache to mark something of a return to form for the idiosyncratic director.

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Chuck Klosterman

Akron Beacon Journal

Oct 28, 2023

2/4

The problem is that we really don't care about either of these people. Instead of feeling nervous, I felt bored.

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Jonah Koslofsky

The Spool

Feb 4, 2021

The more you pull at Flawless' threads, the more it unravels. It's not a Green Book level travesty, but it's plenty ill-conceived and outdated.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Jan 16, 2016

C

There's nothing flawless about this clunker.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 12, 2026

Flawless = a 3 star Movie!

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Frans B

@FransB Jan 22, 2026

Brilliant. One of Joel Schumacher's better attempts. De Niro and PS Hoffman shines in character. Whole cast convincing in character. Daphne Rubin-Vega stands out in her role here, amazing actress ... Well written and brought to screen. Great cinematography. Very touching story with enough emotion, suspense, drama, intrigue and desperation. Gripping and entertaining, should have been nominated for various awards

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Matheus F

@matheusf_neto Sep 1, 2025

Philip Seymour Hoffman deserved an Oscar nom for this performance.

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Celso O

@RT04794968 Jul 21, 2024

Pelo tema e por ser um filme antigo, ele tinha um potencial enorme, porém apresentou a historia muito arrastada e apresentou personagens coadjuvantes extremamente esteriotipados. É um filme ruim, valendo a pena apenas para ver a interpretação de Robert De Niro e Philip Seymour Hoffman.

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Lefty L

@RT90145876 May 31, 2024

2 stars for seymour hoffman. -2 for deniro, an absolute embarrassment of an actor.

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Lara K

@RT76688772 Apr 8, 2023

De Niro and Hoffman killed it!

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Joel Schumacher

Director

Robert De Niro

Walt Koontz

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Rusty Zimmerman

Barry Miller

Leonard Wilcox

Chris Bauer

Jacko

Skip Sudduth

Tommy Walsh

Flawless: Official Clip - Rusty and Amazing Grace

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Flawless: Official Clip - Cha-Cha Likes Walt

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Flawless: Official Clip - Singing Lessons

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Flawless: Official Clip - Cha-Cha Embarrasses Walt

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Flawless: Official Clip - Walt Tries to Sing

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Synopsis

A former security guard, Walt Koontz (Robert De Niro), experiences a severe stroke, and must begin physical therapy after leaving the hospital. Part of Walt's recovery program includes regaining his speech by taking singing lessons, and he gets paired with Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a vocal instructor and neighbor. Walt, however, is extremely homophobic, and Rusty is flamboyantly gay and awaiting gender reassignment surgery, so the two don't have an easy start to their relationship.

Director: Joel Schumacher
Producer: Jane Rosenthal, Joel Schumacher, Robert De Niro
Screenwriter: Joel Schumacher
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Tribeca Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 24, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.5M
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS-ES, DTS

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