FLAWLESS
UK, 2007, 108 minutes, Colour.
Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Lambert Wilson, Nathaniel Parker, Joss Ackland, Derren Nesbitt.
Directed by Michael Radford.
The opening credits show us hands sifting for precious stones in the South African mud pools and then the cutting and polishing the gems until they shine as brilliant diamonds. Flawless is a film about diamonds. But, it is also a thriller about a very cleverly thought out robbery from the vault of London Diamonds, a multinational that has a hold on all international sales. The setting is 1960, the period of apartheid and ambiguous British attitudes towards workers in South Africa.
There are political implications in the robbery but also personal motivations.
The film opens, however, in 2000 and makes a suggestion that audiences are meant to interpret one way while the screenwriter means another – which gives the film an irony as we watch it and then another angle as the film comes to an end.
Demi Moore is an ambitious executive in London Diamonds but is continually passed over for promotion by the irascible boss, played by Joss Ackland. Michael Caine is one of the janitors and cleaners that no one notices but who hears everything. He concocts a plan to enter the vault and – well, you will just have to see the film to find out what he does...!
This is a polished thriller from Michael Radford (Il Postino, Merchant of Venice) with Demi Moore giving one of her now relatively infrequent performances. Michael Caine has been constantly on screen in leading roles for more than forty years and still commands attention. He is quite believable as Hobbs, the ingenious but unnoticed cleaner (Caine notes that his mother was a cleaner at the British Houses of Parliament). Lambert Wilson is the insurance investigator who has to find the diamonds and unmask the thieves.
Flawless can be seen as either old-fashioned or classical film-making – which means that it tells an interesting story, has classy performances and entertains.
1.The title, expectations? Diamonds, the credits sequence and the finding of diamonds, treating them, the ring? The robbery and its being flawless?
2.An entertainment, the moral perspective, the thieves, their attitudes, motivations? Vengeance, ambition? The ending and the giving away of a hundred million pounds?
3.London 2000, the café, Laura, her age, the information, the manuscript of her book, the interview for the paper, the discussion about prison, the interviewer and her being intrigued?
4.London 1960, the city, the diamond building, the foyer, the offices, the vault? Apartments, bars? The cleaning area? Authentic, affluent? The musical score?
5.The corporation, Ashtoncroft, corporation head, his son, expectations? The executives? Sinclair and his connection with London Diamonds? The structure of the office, the meetings, promotions, women and role, being passed over?
6.Laura, in the United Kingdom, her Oxford education, American background, her mother and fostering her ambitions? Fifteen years with the firm, her accent, style, dress? Signing in and her friendliness? Hobbs and her knowing him?
7.Hobbs and his work, being looked over, talking to people, his family background, his wife and her death from cancer, his grief, his own family, training as a plumber, his father? Indications of what was to come, the robbery, motivations and technique?
8.Hobbs talking to Laura, knowing the information about her career, proposing that she steal the codes? His need for her? Her hesitation? Persuasive? The scene at the dinner, her going into Ashtoncroft’s room, searching, her gloves, fingerprints, getting the code? The later issue of fingerprints, the discussions with Finch?
9.The plan, the meetings, her anxiety? The introduction of the security cameras? Laura and the theory of sixty seconds blind time?
10.The executives, their reaction, the behaviour, the money, the issues of exploitation of Africa?
11.Hobbs, his timing, cleaning, the wagon, going into the vault – and the actual robbery not being revealed until the end?
12.Laura, her nightmare, her smuggling out the diamonds and being caught? Her watching Hobbs the next morning, Hobbs coming out the exit, returning, cleaning the toilet? The single diamond, its being given back by the lawyer, Laura finding it later?
13.The empty vault, the amazement of the executives? Hobbs, his talk, the motivations, the insurance issues, Sinclair as the target? Revenge? The lawyer coming to make the speeches, the return of the jewel, the deadline for the ransom?
14.Laura, the plumbing, finding the heap of diamonds? Hobbs and the gun, the explanations?
15.Ashtoncroft, his anger, his collapse and death? Sinclair, calling the press, the press coming, Ashtoncroft’s death? The crisis for Sinclair, his shooting himself?
16.Finch, his personality, the insurance work, the investigation, Laura assisting him, his discussions with her, with the other members of the staff? The final talk with her, his knowing what happened?
17.Forty years passing, the revelation of Laura’s happiness, marriage? Her giving away the hundred million?
