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Released 28th November 2008
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Every now and then something well-made, well-written, well-acted and well-directed comes along. This time it came in the form of a good old-fashioned crime caper, proving there’s still plenty of life in heist cinema.
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Here’s the plot: It’s 1960s’ London, and Laura Quinn (Demi Moore) is the sole female senior executive at London Diamond Corporation. Passed over time and again for bigger and better positions, her frustration mounts, but salvation arrives in the curious form of building janitor, Mr. Hobbs (Michael Caine), who has his ear to the ground and eyes in the waste bin, and fully grasps the measure of Laura’s dissatisfaction. After tipping Laura off that they plan to fire her, Hobbs offers to cut Laura in on a deal: Help him procure the combination to the main vault, then when on his rounds, he will simply walk in and walk out with a thermos full of diamonds… As the vault holds the largest single deposit of riches on the planet, a few handfuls won’t be missed? They owe her something, Hobbs reasons, so why not just take it?
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Michael Radford has taken a terrific script by Edward Anderson and directed a cracker, here. The absence of music in some key scenes heightens the tension, à la Hitchcock. This is a movie that takes its time, and Radford doesn’t rush things, allowing the story to patiently progress. Some may find this frustrating but, Radford gives you the right amount of background on the lead characters to understand them fully, whilst not overwhelming you with information, so that you are able guess their every move. Demi Moore is superb, out-acting her sexy sixties’ exterior, perfectly complimenting Michael Caine - ‘the man with a plan’. And it really is about these two, as this heist has no big bangs and no special effects.
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Whilst probably not for the MTV generation and, certainly no Oceans 11, this film should keep you on the edge of your seat - even if it was praying that old boy Caine didn’t drop dead as he ran back and forth to the vault! In all seriousness (and forgive me for saying), this film is simply a little gem!
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By Rachel Baglin
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Synopsis
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Walt Koontz, a homophobic guy, ends up with paralyzed vocal cords because of an unfortunate stroke. His therapy includes receiving singing lessons from a neighbor who is not only openly flamboyant but also a pre-op transgenderist. Both of them are equally prejudiced; Koontz against homosexuals and the neighbor against close-minded straight people.
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Film Facts
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Official UK site: http://www.flawlessmovie.com/
UK release date: 28th November 2008
Director: Michael Radford
Writer: Edward Anderson
Cast: Demi Moore (‘Laura Quinn’), Michael Caine (‘Mr Howard Hobbs’) and Lambert Wilson (‘Finch’).
UK Distributor: Metrodome
Run-time: 108 mins
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Video on Real.com
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Trailer:
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