film: review

> CAPOTE (2005)
A complicated character.

By John C. Lyons
Film Critic

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Chris Cooper, Clifton Collins Jr.

Directed by: Bennett Miller

Written by: Dan Futterman (screenplay), Gerald Clarke (book)

Genre: Biography / Drama

Our Rating: 8/10

From his first moments on screen you may think that you have Truman Capote pegged, but he turns out to be quite a bit more complicated than you gave him credit for; and I felt the same for Hoffman’s performance as well. What starts out seeming like some odd caricature quickly melts away and soon you forget you’re watching an actor onscreen. Capote isn’t an easy character to play, and some actors probably would have completely missed the mark. Hoffman deserves all the awards he has received for his efforts here. Once an underrated unknown, I am sure now people will see what they’ve been missing from this young talent.

The film concentrates on Capote’s experiences and the process of writing his first foray into non-fiction (“In Cold Blood”) from the day an article first caught his eye in the papers to the execution of the convicted. But it also brought to light some aspects of the story that I didn’t know. I read the book and saw the film when I was in grade school, but I no idea the level of involvement Capote had with the killers (mainly Perry Smith played well by Collins), nor of the fact that “In Cold Blood” was his final published work. If you have the slightest interest in this colorful author, don’t miss Capote.

I saw this film at Cinemark’s Tinseltown 17 Theatres on Peach Street in Erie, PA.

related links:
Capote - official site

MPAA rating: R
for some violent images and brief strong language

length: 98 minutes