233 of 251 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The rise and fall of a great talent, January 13, 2006
Believe me when I tell you that this is one of the best films of the year. It is a complex and multi-layered work of art. Truman Capote, under assignment from the New Yorker magazine, explores a terrible murder of a family of four in the American heartland. He asks his childhood friend from Monroeville Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee, to act as his assistant and together they will explore the murder and its impact on the community for a magazine article. Phillip Seymour Hoffman delivers the acting performance of the year playing the role of the cognitively unique Capote. Catherine Keener was superb playing the solid strength of Harper Lee.
When the killers are soon caught and Capote sees the half-Native American Perry Smith, an odd chemistry develops and Capote becomes obsessed with Smith. Yet Capote manipulates the two murderers and even pays for their first court appeal in order to obtain more information for the article that has now developed into a book. Clifton Collins is excellent in the role of Perry Smith and Chris Cooper is excellent as the head of the Kansas division of the FBI.
Capote had a rare gift, the ability to make himself totally vulnerable through painful self revelation, so as to obtain entry into soul of his target. He does this with Smith and they begin a careful relationship whereby they reveal themselves to each other like chess players, each making careful calculated moves so as to obtain the maximum amount of information and manipulation of the other party.
Harper Lee confronts Capote asking whether he has fallen in love with Perry Smith, but Capote says that he and Smith are the same person, only Capote ran out the 'front door' and Smith ran out the 'back door".
Capote names his book "In Cold Blood" but keeps this information from Perry Smith. Eventually you begin to realize that cold blood is the mental state that Capote had to assume to manipulate the killers long enough to extract the full story of the murders from them.
As the book nears completion, Capote begins a mental breakdown. He may actually love Perry Smith and thus regrets his death but also he knows the execution must occur to bring closure to the book so it can be published. Thus when Capote wishes Smith to die he is cast into guilt and grief; but when he wishes Smith to live, he is cast into depression over the lack of closure of his masterpiece.
One of the most wise plot devices in this film was to contrast the fall of Capote with the rise of Harper Lee and her wonderful novel "To Kill A Mockingbird". Capote sinks into depression and alcoholism laced with mounting self pity while Harper Lee gains acclaim first for her novel and then for the film starring Gregory Peck. On the night of the gala opening of "To Kill A Mockingbird" Capote attends the festivities in a drunken depressed stupor and is so self absorbed that he can't even offer his supportive best friend, Lee, congratulations on her novel and film.
What do we make of this film? It is incredibly well done and demonstrates that no act of mercy is totally pure, no act of cruelty is totally evil. It was Capote's incredible skills that allowed him to manipulate the killers to gain the story that made him the most famous American living writer; but he sold his soul to buy the story and he never recovered from the wound.
This is mature film-making at its best!
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40 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of The Year's Best..., October 17, 2005
It is much more difficult to write a review of a great movie. You worry about doing the film justice, giving the film its due, convincing other that this film is worthy.
"Capote" is a great film. I can't think of enough superlatives to do the film justice.
November, 1959. Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) sits in his apartment reading through the New York Times and spots a short item about the murder of a family on a farm in Kansas. Something about the article speaks to Capote, he can write about this and turn it into a great article for the New Yorker. He enlists the aid of his friend, and fellow writer, Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), as his research assistant for the trip. Upon their arrival in Kansas, they meet with Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper), the lead investigator in the case, haunted by images of the crime scene and determined to find the killers. Dewey's wife invites Capote and Lee to dinner, thrilled to have a celebrity in the house, beginning a friendship with the Dewey's which leads to them sharing Christmas dinner. The meal is interrupted by a call from Las Vegas. The suspects have been captured. Capote remains in the small town, hoping for the opportunity to interview Perry Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and Richard Hickock (Mark Pellegrino). When Capote meets Smith, he realizes that he has enough for a book. But he needs an ending. How and when will the book end?
"Capote", directed by Bennett Miller, written by Dan Futterman and produced by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, among others, is a great film. But I already said that, didn't I? See what I mean? It's difficult to do justice to a film like this.
The most amazing thing about the film is Hoffman's portrayal of Capote. Before this film, my limited exposure to Capote has been his cameo in "Murder by Death" or various magazine pictures of him at parties throughout the Eighties. None of this gives you an idea of his life or his ability. The film, and Hoffman, quickly establish Capote's character. Enjoying success as a writer, and celebrity, he holds court during a party, recounting the story of another author telling him about his new book. This scene quickly establishes Capote's ego and his love of attention. After he finds the short newspaper article, we begin to see and sense many other layers to his character. He wants to be a great writer; as portrayed by Hoffman, we see that he valued celebrity as much as his skill. He wants to be in a loving relationship; his partner, author Jack Dunphy (Bruce Greenwood) is working on a new novel and wants Capote to spend the holidays at home. Capote realizes that the research will take much longer and tries to assuage his lover about his absence. But the truly great thing about this performance is the relationship between Capote and Smith. Hoffman skillfully leads us to believe that Capote was attracted to Smith, helping him find lawyers, meeting with him for long periods of time. Was it all for the sake of a book, which Capote believed would be great? Or did he actually care about Smith? Or the Clutter family?
As you watch Hoffman's performance you realize that there are many subtle contradictions in Capote's character. Hoffman brings these to life, in a completely disarming way. We feel like we are watching Capote in a documentary.
Capote had a very stylized speech pattern and Hoffman captures it without stereotyping it or making light of it. It was simply how this man, who lived in many Southern communities growing up spoke.
As far as I am concerned, the Oscar race for Best Actor is over. Hoffman should get the statue now. Forget about all of the campaigning. There may be other very good performances to come, but I doubt there will be another performance as good as Hoffman's portrayal of Truman Capote.
All of the supporting performances are pitch perfect. Catherine Keener, once again, does a great job as she brings author Nelle Harper Lee to life. She and Capote had Southern roots and the desire to be great writers in common. Capote clearly liked to surround himself with talent, as friends and associates, and he recognized that Lee would be a great writer as well. During their research in Kansas, Lee learns that her book "To Kill a Mockingbird" will be published. Over the course of writing "In Cold Blood", Lee's novel is published to great acclaim and made into a film starring Gregory Peck. Capote attends the New York premiere, but he is still so wrapped up in his own book that he can't come to terms with Lee's success, putting a strain on their relationship.
Chris Cooper is outstanding as the tortured lawman. At one point, Capote helps Smith and Hickock find new lawyers. Dewey (Cooper) tells him that if he helps these two men get out of jail, he will personally come to Brooklyn and hunt Capote down.
Clifton Collins, Jr. is also mesmerizing as Perry Smith. Collins has, frankly, never done anything this good. His last film of any note was "Mindhunters", the oft-delayed Renny Harlin mess released this summer. Collins manages to subtly convey that Smith may be just as manipulative as his new friend, Capote. He realizes early on that Capote needs him and once he gives Capote what he wants his new `friend' is gone. Throughout their relationship, they play a subtle game of cat and mouse.
The beauty of the film is that it puts us in Capote's shoes. We experience all of the emotions that he experiences, see everything that he sees, and witness the events that he is present for. When he hears Smith's recount of the murders, he is visibly shaken, as are we, by the power of the words and images used.
Rightfully, the film concentrates on Capote's life during the research and writing of "In Cold Blood". After the book was released, and acknowledged as a classic, Capote never really wrote anything that would earn him the attention or acclaim that he needed. It was essentially, the book he was meant to write and it would end his creative career. The rest of his life would be a shadow.
"Capote" does that rare thing. You learn about the man, his talent, and his life.
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52 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Truman Show, February 23, 2006
Director Bennett Miller has done a terrific job of creating a deep sense of foreboding and impending doom in his re-telling of the story of Truman Capote (Phillip Seymour Hoffman in a tour-de-force performance) and his relationship with the convicted Clutter family murderers, Perry Smith (an intense Clifton Collins, Jr.) and Richard Hickock (Mark Pellegrino).
Be forewarned though, "Capote" is not a filmic love letter to Truman Capote and his Jet Set cronies. This is a blunt, peeling away of the glamour that was the Capote persona and what Bennett comes up with is not pleasant...but it is honest and straightforward and for this Bennett is to be congratulated.
Hoffman, as opposed to say Charlize Theron's quasi-performance in "Monster," not only takes on the manner and physical attributes of Capote but he also inhabits and reveals the heart (hard) and soul (decayed) of the man responsible for the breath-taking, "In Cold Blood." But at what price to all involved: Smith, Hickock, FBI agent Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper), close friend Harper Lee (a very subdued, Catherine Keener)?
"Capote" is a brilliant, shining example of deadly honest film making done at the very highest level. It is physically, psychically and mentally beautiful and like a fine old Burgundy it is meant to be consumed with as much commitment as it took to create it.
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