Capote

[Animal Boything]

If you want to see a fucking brilliant film right now go and see this. Out of all the year-end Oscar-bait dramas I've seen so far, Capote is by far the best. It has a totally un-hollywood feel to it, all the acting is brilliant, the pacing is perfect, and it seriously moved me and made me think. I can't think of a better example of a movie about writing...

We all know Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a great actor, but he really outdid himself this time. This is a career-defining performance. Why am I the first person to post about this? All you smart people should be all over this movie, it is wonderful.

[grady]

I was really excited to see this, esp. since it focuses specifically on In Cold Blood. Then something changed in my mind a bit after it came out. I'm sure it's good and I'm sure that Phil Hoffman turns in an amazing performance as Truman Capote, but this film reminds of other psuedo-bio/period pieces that come along every so often like Pollock in 2000 or Iris in 2001.

These are usually smaller independent-esque films that are built specifically around the stellar performance of a wonderful actor or actress. Sometimes the film isn't always top notch, but the acting is. Then you have the larger, moderate to big budgeted bio pics that come out each year like Ray last year, which I didn't see, and this years Walk the Line, which I probably will not see.

Another film that fits this criteria to certain degree is Transamerica starring Felecity Huffman that comes out later this year. Already there is rumors and discussion around the film journalist about her performance, but after seeing the trailer, I'm not terribly interested in seeing the film, nor was I prior to the trailer.

Anyone else feel this way regarding bio-pics and end of the year awards grandstanding? This topic could be a whole thread on it's own. (I should probably start one sooner or later in light of the coming release of Munich, Memoirs of a Geisha, and The New World. Although The New World I'm excited for strictly because it's a new film from Terrence Malick and it's amazing to see that he's made two films in the span of 8 years now instead of the 20 years between Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line. Also, the film was due out earlier in the Fall but then pushed back for the awards build up.)

Chances are I will end up downloading a screener of this film sometime soon when they start to pop up after nominations and awards roll out. Or I might just take in a double feature at the local art house cinema and pay for one film and sneak into the other.

[adam]

You forgot Domino.

[b.miller]

Capote was really good i thought... helped not only by Hoffman but also Clifton Collins, Jr. who played the main murderer dude. it's an interesting story though and the movie's really more about how the book comes together than Capote's life or anything like that so I don't think if falls into any of the tired material (gee, another musician who had a drug problem. RIVETING) that most biopics get mired down with.

That said, I'm also curious to see the other Capote movie that will be coming out next year called Infamous with Jeff Daniels, Sandra Bullock, and Daniel Craig replacing Cliftin Collins...

[Animal Boything]

A couple of great points there, b.miller... First of all, it's not really a biopic at all. The real focus is on his creative process over the course of just a couple of years writing one book, the lengths he goes to and what it does to him, and there's practically no attention paid to the rest of his life. It doesn't rely on Capote's fame to propel the film, it's just a damn good story that happens to be true.

Secondly, Clifton Collins Jr. was amazing in this movie and I'll be angry if he isn't at least nominated for every major supporting actor award.

I was a little hesitant to see this myself for all the reasons grady stated, but I'm telling you people, you will be shocked at how good this movie is. It's not "about" Truman Capote. It's about doing horrible things in the pursuit of greatness. You might think you've seen a million movies like this, but it's not like that.

[GforGroove]

I saw it recently and i wasn't expecting that much at all and i came out of the movie "shocked" as you say, of how excellent is.

i really didn't new anything about Capote before this movie and i was impressed of his ego. I know it wasn't a biographical film of him , which i like a lot too, just focused in an event of the writter - But, it gives a great overall idea of this egomonster, that was Capote. I'm reading "Music for Camaleons" now and yes, you can catch the same arrogance of the character in the film.

This character is amazing,I hated Capote so much during the movie, think he was great, talented..but the fact he doesn't came like a hero or something like that at all, all the opposite, makes the movie so much better.

Also the cinematography and the whole look was gorgeous.

[tonnerre]

Capote is wonderful on almost every level. It is probably the best biopic I've seen, since I was very pleased to see that the story does not touch upon his homosexuality at all, like a normal biopic would fetishize about. Like b.miller's RIVETING story about a musician with a drug problem.

The only con I can find in the film was the fact that the movie wasn't very cinematic. What I mean is, it's completely character driven, heavily reliant on dialogue to forward the story, there is virtually no soundtrack, and could have been easily been a stage play with only tiny adjustments. Being a filmmaker, these kind of little things get to me. Why write a movie that could be on stage? Ironically, it didn't bother me at all while watching it, so yay. In retrospect, actually, the absence of music helped (I can't stand scores that attempt to make a tense scene tenser)

On a side note, I was very disappointed when most of the people in the theater started leaving during the titles talking about Truman Capote never writing another book! The movie isn't even over yet and they leave! Kill those bastards, seriously....

I wouldn't mind watching it again anytime soon.

[GforGroove]

Originally Posted by tonnerre

Why write a movie that could be on stage?

Oh .. i love this kind of movies. Specially Hal Hartley ones.. so threatrical.
Or Dogville!

yes, the fact taht there were no soundtrack almost is weird...