Flawless (2007)

A crime/drama set in 1960 London, where a soon to retire janitor convinces a glass-ceiling constrained American executive to help him steal a handful of diamonds from their employer, the London Diamond Corporation.

Director:

Michael Radford

Writer:

Edward Anderson

Stars:

Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Lambert Wilson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Demi Moore	...	Laura
Michael Caine	...	Hobbs
Lambert Wilson	...	Finch
Nathaniel Parker	...	Ollie
Shaughan Seymour	...	Eaton
Nicholas Jones	...	Jameson
David Barrass	...	Fenton
Joss Ackland	...	MKA
Silas Carson	...	Reece
Derren Nesbitt	...	Sinclair
Rosalind March	...	Penelope
Kevan Willis	...	Lewis
Stanley Townsend	...	Henry
Jonathan Aris	...	Boyle
Ben Righton	...	Bryan

Storyline

London, 1960. Laura Quinn is the lone female executive at London Diamond Corporation. She is frustrated as her talents are rarely acknowledged and her less-experienced male co-workers are promoted ahead of her. She is shocked, but intrigued, when the mild-mannered night janitor, Mr. Hobbs, approaches her with a daring but simple plan to steal a handful of diamonds from the vault. Laura agrees to help, but she is soon in over her head. And it is not long before insurance investigator Mr. Finch has his eyes on her.

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Plot Keywords:

diamond | 1960s | janitor | vault | flashback | 

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Taglines:

He had a scheme. She had a motive.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK Luxembourg

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un plan brillante

Filming Locations:

France

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$181,910 (USA) (28 March 2008)

Gross:

$1,198,612 (USA) (11 July 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Magnolia Pictures, Pierce/Williams Entertainment, Hyde Park International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Caine's grandfather had a similar job to Hobbs.

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Goofs

The record on the turntable is Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry", but the soundtrack is instrumental jazz.

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Quotes

Laura Quinn: Why do you want to steal from the company?
Mr. Hobbs: Who said I did?
Laura Quinn: Hypothetically.
Mr. Hobbs: War and plunder, the two most reliable sources of income.
Laura Quinn: I didn't realize! Are we at war?

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 29 March 2008 (2008)

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Soundtracks

"The Blue Danube Waltz"
Composed by Johann Strauß (as Johann Strauss)
Recorded by the Luxembourg String Quartet

User Reviews

Story, Acting, & Atmosphere combine...Flawlessly!

Start with two of the most reviled yet tolerated institutions: diamond broking and large insurance underwriting. Spin a story around these heartless institutions getting their "just comeuppance". Justice is served by two very different individuals who quite remarkably find themselves in this extraordinary situation. Singularly they wield no power over such old established hallmarks, yet together they bring these "takers" to their knees.

Speaking of together, Michael Caine continues his low key return to excellent work ever since Ciderhouse Rules. He's great here and surprise...Demi Moore is spot-on in her portrayal as the brilliant, yet stepped-on lone female executive who sacrificed too much before she realized too late it was for naught. These two elevate the all ready good story to great heights.

Special mention is due to the set design. It really nails the 60's-some of which I recall and all of which looks totally appropriate. The directing is most excellent too as it builds the story slowly, never revealing too much, and allows the tension to slowly mount. The movie has a quite satisfying ending that you really couldn't figure out exactly until it too was revealed. Really a great movie, highly recommended.