Flawless (2007)

So ... as a quick intro before getting right into the subject, this is ( like the title already says :) ) a blog containing some personal thoughts about some of the movies I manage to see in the short free time I have (usually at least one/week). I don’t have any studies in any area related to cinema – that’s why it’ s called “unauthorized” :), but I like to think that after seeing quite a lot of movies in more than 20 years, since I was kid, I might have something to say (and when I say a lot it is really “a lot” :) ). I started this blog three years ago, only for friends, on a pretty private hosting space I might say, and like it is still visible I’m not running any ads on it ( at least yet :) ). I have just decided to try making it a little more visible by running also an English version from now on ( though I still don’t have the time, neither the interest, to make it more “public” by indexing, SEO, etc ). Anyway, just to finish with this part, if you need more “intro info” check the motto entry on the right ( It’s just the translation of my original entry from 2007 ). And now, let’s get to the point for this week :) …

I could characterize the movie on the today’s topic in a single word as "nice" I guess. It's not great, at least after I've seen it I can't say anything about it that gets up to this level, but still has something in it that leaves you with a sort of a nice feeling. And it is like this, despite the fact that eventually it comes up to be a serious drama as a genre with valences of a blue movie (I can’t think of another better description at this moment).

The subject of "Flawless" is placed somewhere in the 60s, having as the main protagonists the only woman employed at the London Diamond Company - Demi Moore, and a caretaker close to retirement working at the same firm - Michael Caine. The latter comes with an “indecent” proposal one day, more exactly he asks she to help him rob a small part of the diamonds contained in the basement vault, hoping that she’ll say “yes” given the circumstances that the leading board was just discussing, behind closed doors, firing her instead of promoting. Well ... it's probably easy to predict that the proposal is eventually accepted, but what is going on afterwards I’ll just let a potential viewer to discover :). Anyway the movie does not cut anywhere near something like the classic "How to Steal a Million", going a bit further than just the planning and the execution of the robbery.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is the couple of the main characters and the relation that is created between them and the way that evolves from the beginning to the end. I don’t know ... personally I had an impression of "transfer" of personality so to speak - from him - a very lively character despite the old age, making impossible plans, and apparently out of his mind, to her – a cold woman, calculated and retained in the first phase. Until the end, as I said, it seems that the two characters’ traits just “swap”. Well :) being so or not being so, in summary I think the character building is the best part of the film. Obviously it is supported also by actors, it’s not only in the script. I can’t say that I usually appreciate Demi Moore in what roles I’ve seen her, but this one suits her and on the other side I must admit that I've always liked Michael Caine, from the films in the start of his career up to the most recent ones. Besides the lead actors, in this case we have a production in which the cast is predominantly English, and not to lengthen too much the idea I'll just summarize in saying (it will be pretty conclusive I hope) that I always found the English acting school to be at least a class above the U.S. one.

Related to the other movie aspects, directing, cinematography, editing, etc. - as I said from the start I do not see anything extraordinary. The film is supported in particular by a good script, and throughout this and especially in the final just gives that … "warm" feeling / impression which you might just need sometimes and due to this fact I’m unfortunately rather subjective :). So ...

Rating: 4 out of 5