Phil Hoffman was unbelievable - Flawless (1999) Discussion

[–] Ambiance35 19 years ago

I couldn't agree more-Philip Seymour Hoffman is just such an amazingly versatile actor who seems to get right into the characters he is portraying whether it be the suicidal widower in "Love Liza" or the sad & lonely telephone pervert in "Happiness". Both very good films by the way.
However it is in "Flawless" that I think he really does come into his own playing Rusty the caustic witted but ultimately rather lonely & sad drag artiste.The character itself just showed so many different facets from outright feistiness to sheer vulnerability which itself is a true testament to Mr Hoffman's acting abilities.It is rather a pity that the other drag queen's in the film were portrayed as little more than caricatures though I thought...........
The on screen chemistry between the two main leads in "Flawless" was also amazing too I thought & I just think the film's tagline of "They couldn't like each other less or need each other more" was just so very apt.Two very lonely neighbours-It was just such a shame that they couldn't have been friends nor come to respect each other so much earlier in life such was the sheer believability of their respective characters............

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[–] peterquince 18 years ago

I was disappointed with Hoffman's performance in this film. Such a perfect role for him, one would think, but his acting is so campy and overdone it's almost painful to watch. You'd think he'd be able to find the subtleties in the character, who is very complex, but instead he takes the easy way out and portrays Rusty as a fairly boring, one-note queen. Now, this isn't entirely his fault. The script is very flawed, and I wasn't a fan of DeNiro's performance either. There's only so far acting can go to redeem a bad picture.

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[–] dugitebite 18 years ago

I agree, I felt he was given a poor screenplay and his role (as were all the gay roles) was turned into a Hollywood cliche of gay men. De Niro tried had but seemed uncomfortable (as an actor). It was Hoffman's movie though.

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[–] phanatic272 18 years ago

oh i thought his portayal was perfect. I have a gay uncle and when i saw this film, i thought i was watching him. he got all the movements right and his voice was perfect, he couldn't have done a better job

~H*
"Where the HELL is my Chiffon?!"
-Andrae...?

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[–] fanaticita 18 years ago

I agree that Hoffman was absolutely perfect. His character was a flamin' fag, no disrespect intended, and he had his serious moments too, so it was not just a one dimensional character. I loved his character -funny, sad, caring, compassionate, but courageous too.

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[–] phanatic272 18 years ago

i love when he's running in the rain to save Robert DeNiro and he's like, "ok honey, Grace Kelly in Rear Window' haha that was great

~H*
"Where the HELL is my Chiffon?!"
-Andrae...?

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[–] bite_me_loser_86 13 years ago

It's not just a Hollywood cliché. Have you ever met a drag queen, let alone a group of drag queens? Drag queens do not represent all gay men, they are just a small percentage, but they are usually (with a exceptions of course) pretty flamboyant. Gay men come in all flavours, some are effeminate, some are not, but drag queens usually are. Besides, the whole point of the movie was to show how DeNiro's character was prejudiced and disliked Rusty because of the way he over-the-top flamboyant ways, but learned to care for him and respect him as he got to know him and realized there was more to him than just a loud drag queen.

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[–] bellanita 17 years ago

I would have to disagree. There ARE gay people out there who are like this, so it isn't a misrepresentation. His character was a musician and a "drama queen" so to play her this way would seem correct to me.

I loved his performance and the rest of the cast. As for Deniro seeming uncomfortable (as someone else commented), his character WAS uncomfortable, his character was a seasoned New York (?) homophobic macho cop, so he played it well.

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[–] depeche_girl 18 years ago

I also loved his role in this film as a drag queen.

http://www.geocities.com/leather_girl001/

My friend, he took his final breath
Now I know the perfect kiss is the kiss of death.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] HarryTuttel 17 years ago

Yep, P.S.H definitely stole the show.

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[–] ascferme 15 years ago

De Niro didn't even recognize him out of make-up at the after party. He never saw Hoffman out of make-up because Hoffman always had to get there extra early so by the time De Niro arrived, he was already in character.

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[–] shaxanov 15 years ago

Philip Hoffman is hands down one of the greatest actors around. Unlike the other Hoffman, i think.

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[–] Greyshaded 13 years ago

He was good in this movie, Hoffman that is.He looked beautiful as a woman and carried the role with excellence as well

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[–] Minimize 13 years ago

I didn't even recognize him until about 20 minutes into the movie. I think he deserves an Oscar for his role in this film. De Niro also did a great job with his character, but Hoffman stole all the scenes he was in, and delivered each line so perfectly, and hilariously.

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