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Capote (2005) Sony Pictures
Classics, 1 hr. 54 mins.
Starring:
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins, Jr., Chris
Cooper, Bruce Greenwood, Bob Balaban, Mark Pallegrino, Amy Ryan
Directed by:
Bennett Miller |
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To say that the late great writer
Truman Capote was the epitome of the tortured artist would indeed be
stating the obvious. In filmmaker Bennett Miller’s revealing and intensely
introspective biopic Capote, this absorbing examination of one of
America’s most cherished and offbeat wordsmiths is an amazing character
study of a complex man captivated by his erratic times.
Undoubtedly brilliant and observant but uniquely a gifted oddball, Capote
was a walking wonderment of many unassuming shades. Hopelessly effeminate
but forceful in his artistic convictions, this resilient author could be
manipulative, arrogant, obstinate, repulsive, sanctimonious and
intolerable. However, Capote was the pure definition of a wounded soul who
knew how to be opportunistic and let his literary talents capture the
wandering spirit and cynicism of the interested masses. Whether an
automatically sympathetic and tragic figurehead or considered a
misunderstood and vulnerable genius, Capote is the embodiment of a
compelling tale of suffocating celebrity. Clearly, it will be a glowing
and bewildering slight if Miller’s moody and quietly fierce film is not
remembered at Oscar time.
As it is widely known, Truman Capote is instinctively associated with his
printed masterpiece In Cold Blood—the penetrating non-fiction
crime-oriented bestseller about the brutality involving a slain Kansas
family whose grisly murder in the heartland caused an understandable
sensation. This gripping and stark book would put Capote on the glorious
map and launch the paunchy writer as a creative force to be reckoned with.
Basically, Miller and screenwriter Dan Futterman (known to television
audiences as a supporting player from the recently canceled CBS drama
Judging Amy) wisely focuses upon the hectic duration that the eccentric
Capote spent fussing and fawning over his page-turning opus In Cold Blood.
It’s 1959 and Capote (played by the excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman) is
the media maverick that yearns for a serious challenge in his writing
delivery. After reading a New York Times article about the gruesome demise
of the Clutter family from Holcomb, Kansas, the crafty Capote turns this
horrific revelation into a personalized project to prove a point. Of
course the point being that non-fictional accounts are just as involving
and sensationalistic as imaginative fiction.
Always the self-assured elitist and intellectual, confident Capote checks
with his editor’s permission to pursue this Midwestern murder mystery and
make it his own self-serving blueprint. Along to accompany Capote on his
journalistic journey is close confidant and fellow writer Nelle Harper Lee
(Catherine Keener)—soon to be the mastermind of another treasured book
that would register in our collective consciousness—To Kill A Mockingbird.
Soon, Capote would embark on an obsessive mission in Kansas to realize the
core of his ultimate dream—to give life to a calculating story that soaks
in exploitative waters.
While in Kansas, Capote intends of doing some investigating but the
locals—especially the town’s sheriff (played by Oscar winner Chris Cooper
from Adaptation)—don’t know what to make of the off-kilter New York
scriber. Nevertheless, Capote manages to endear himself to some key people
(such as the sheriff’s wife) in order to get closer to the inside scoop.
Eventually, Capote would meet up with the suspected killers behind the
Clutters’ slaughtering. Slyly, he would cozy up to the accused and act as
their sympathizer. In particular, Capote forges an empathetic bond with
criminal Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.). Evidently, there’s a
connection of alienation and despair that Capote sees in Smith that draws
some sensitivity vibes from the inquisitive novelist. Knowing what it’s
like to be labeled an outcast, the Southern-accented lisping Capote
identifies with Smith’s inner rage and the on-going turmoil that persists.
Stunningly realized, Miller concocts a vivid depiction of a confused cad
that seemingly had what it took to ruffle feathers in wholeheartedly
nailing down the prized bird. Miller has had previous experience in
spotlighting unpredictable characters with his riveting entry The Cruise
(based on New York tour guide Timothy “Speed” Levitch). The outlandish and
narcissistic tendencies of Truman Capote are carved out impeccably and
Miller finely tunes this self-absorbed individual with steady fundamental
flair. As his beloved text In Cold Blood dominated his hungry psyche,
Capote’s main preoccupation with his carousing in-depth tome would expose
the indomitable strength and inevitable weakness of a damaged free-spirit
constantly looking for that elusive slice of reassurance and redemption.
Hoffman literally jumps into the scandalous skin of Truman Capote with a
mesmerizing scope of concentration that's thoroughly skilled and nuanced.
There’s not much of a surprise concerning Hoffman’s range as an
adventurous actor because he’s fearless in whatever part he assumes on
screen. With the targeted colorful gestures and on-the-spot mannerisms
that made up the larger than life Capote, Hoffman explores this portrayal
with joyous urgency. Equally, the vanity and insecurity leak out of
Hoffman’s superlative performance and gives a distinctive face to a
perplexing person of lingering pride and pomposity. Hands down, the
capable Hoffman is deserving of an Academy Award nomination if not the
golden statuette itself.
Vibrant and visceral in its meditative storytelling mode, Capote is a
significant achievement thus easily being one of the best films of 2005. |
