MOVE over, De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman's in town. As Rusty, the overweight but motherly drag queen, Hoffman shows his ultimate talent and versatility in a (forgive me) flawless performance.

De Niro plays macho hero Walt, a former cop who is partially paralysed early in the film while trying to stop a robbery. Rusty is his neighbour, a boisterous drag queen with a gaggle of 'girlfriends' whom Walt refers to as "f*****' faggot" when he acknowledges them at all. But when Walt needs singing lessons to improve his speech and Rusty needs money for an expensive physical operation, the two come together by the piano.

Although the plot of this film is predictable from the first moment as an odd-couple venture, it is never sluggish or overly stereotypical. The film is successful largely due to the talents of De Niro, who stiffly struggles to express himself, and Hoffman, who manages to convey anger with tenderness and sadness with laughter. De Niro delivers a solid performance as a partially paralysed tough guy, talking through the side of his mouth and trying to form letters. ("You've got no problem with f!", shouts Rusty as Walt continues to call him a "f*****' faggot!").

Although, in the making of the film, Hoffman confessed to being "very nervous" around De Niro because, after all, he's not De Niro, the relative newcomer steals the screen with his flamboyant movements and sassy speech.

The fun parts include Rusty's colourful group of friends who sparkle as they dance around the scenes between the two main characters, adding a lighter element to the intensity of the "f*****' faggot" and the 'macho Republican'. One of the queens refers to Walt as 'Mr. My Left Foot'. Scenes at the Gay and Lesbian Centre where queens clash with the gay republicans mock various stereotypes with sharp humour.

This movie's greatest achievement is its skillful approach to the prejudices between two polar opposites (a drag queen and a tough cop) with sensitivity and humour. The evolution of their relationship is entirely believable - and that is due to the talent of the Oscar-winning De Niro, and the Oscar-deserving Hoffman.