Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend (Flawless [2008] (DVD))

Member Name: spencer_hawken

Product:	Flawless [2008] (DVD)
Date:	06/09/08 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A diamond heist movie with a difference

Disadvantages: A bit like a Sunday night TV drama

Before I start my review for the new Demi Moore and Michael Caine movie, I need to clear something up. Flawless is not a true story or even based on a true story; it is a complete work of fiction despite what numerous magazines and online movie review sites state. It's something that has grown to annoy me more and more over the past months, especially when the story revolves around what would be the biggest theft in living history.

The basis of Michael Radford's new film is sexism in the workplace during the 1950's and 1960's; and the comparisons to our current climb, I guess the actual crime itself is a secondary factor to this. Certainly at the offset Demi Moore as Laura Quinn plays for once the age she is meant to be, cast as a middle aged spinster working in a mainly male dominated environment. After nearly 10 years in the same company, achieving great results Quinn is over looked time and time again in what has become a male only club. Quinn saves the company millions daily working for Londi (The London Diamond Company) but when it comes to promotion, she should just well be impressed with reaching the level of Manager, at the time an achievement in itself. Quinn must watch daily as those less competent around her get fat cat pay promotions and jobs they are incapable of doing simply because they are men.

Into Quinn's world comes lonely widower Mr. Hobbs (Michael Caine) a man who has worked as a janitor for many years at Londi. Since the death of his wife however his view of life in general has faded considerably. Always having a polite relationship with Quinn he sees the glass ceiling she consistently bangs her head on, sensing her growing animosity. Hobbs has a plan, a corrupt and devious plan; this plan will leave him with a nice retirement fund and her with a great feeling of satisfaction, but will Quinn be a victim of sexism again?

Flawless is nothing special, neither does it try to be; it simply comes across like a nice Sunday night TV drama that has done well for itself, and that doing well is in respect of screenings around the world at the cinema. It's a reasonably well paced drama that goes far beyond the realms of the synopsis I provide above, there is lots of double crossing and wheeler dealing that takes place in the movie, making it much more than the sum of its parts. But despite the cleverness of certain aspects it does not overplay its cards all the time being very humble, seemingly very happy with whatever attention the movie gets.

I find it an unusual piece for Demi Moore, an actress who has turned her hand to everything from older seductress to power crazed boss; all the time with Moore though there is always glamour, there is always sex; but Moore here is never once put in a situation where she is a sexual aggressor or target of sexual harassment, or even innocently seduced. There is no reason why in fact Moore was selected over any other actress like Julie Waters. Interestingly Moore had to fight for her role here, with the movies producers having a firm eye on Helen Mirren for the leading role.

Michael Caine plays his typically subservient role as a humble janitor, of course as usual there is something ticking away beneath the surface, the sort of thing that Caine does only too well. Inspector Linley star Nathaniel Parker plays the Londi Vice President Ollie, a faithful but fair member of the Londi corp. While Joss Ackland does what he does best here playing a South African straight playing crook, while not necessarily a bad man he certainly is the villain of the piece.

Edward Anderson's screenplay works nicely for the movie, no unnecessary lines of bile; but the understanding that something is always going on even if you cannot necessarily see it.

As a whole this is as I said before an understated piece, and I suspect this could be the secret of the success of this movie already grossing stateside more than it cost in its opening week, one country alone; nobody knew it was coming yet it slid along under the radar not creating a massive impact but enough to hold a reasonable chart position for 8 weeks. For a movie with a good storyline, and nothing that will offend anyone you cannot go far wrong with Flawless.

Flawless is currently at the BBFC awaiting classification, though a PG seems a fair guess, the movie will be released shortly after classification.

Summary: Frustrated with the invisible ceiling stopping her rise in her chosen career, a woman vows revenge