Review of "Flawless" by

Michael Caine and Demi Moore are certainly an odd couple, but they are superbly cast in this movie about a diamond heist in London in the 1960's. Demi plays American Laura Quinn, the only woman executive of the London Diamond Corporation who's frustrated by constantly having her ideas stolen by her co-workers. Feeling like she's swimming upstream in her quest for promotion, she is intrigued when Mr. Hobbs (Michael Caine) the night janitor approaches her with the idea of stealing a thermos-full of diamonds.

The movie paints an richly colored view of London of the era, complete with the prevailing attitudes of the business world. Women? Oh yes, we have one of those! Demi Moore brings both elegance and intelligence in her portrayal of Laura Quinn. She's not a crusader for women's rights. She only wants her due. Michael Caine plays the gentleman janitor to perfection, of course. He's doing nearly the same character in Alfred the butler in the current Batman movies. Both men are deceptively intelligent despite coming from the servant classes. The plot focuses on the characters rather than the heist itself, which is fine because the plan isn't terribly complicated, and there is a very satisfying twist at the end. Superbly paced by director Michael Radford, Flawless delivers an intriguing story wrapped in a tapestry of British culture.