Available at Amazon.com
Director
Douglas McGrath
Cast
Sigourney Weaver……….Babe Paley
Toby Jones………..Truman Capote
Gwyneth Paltrow………..Kitty Dean
Sandra Bullock………..Nelle Harper Lee
Daniel Craig………..Perry Smith
The Movie
“In Cold Blood” is considered one of the great works of literature by many, but for its author it would prove to be his downfall as Truman Capote would never reach the same heights again. His descent into the depths of alcoholism may be sad, but they provide fertile ground for exploration of the man. And a funny thing happened; two films about the man were made. The first to hit theatres was 2005’s Capote, which ended up Oscar-nominated and hailed as one of the best films of the year. A year later the other film, Infamous, would come out to a mixed reaction.
Infamous stars Toby Jones as the effeminate author before his fall from grace. At this point he’s a busy socialite, writing for The New Yorker and exchanging gossip with the rich and famous. Things change for Capote when he learns about the murders of a wealthy family in Kansas. Venturing from his native New York with his friend Nelle Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock), Capote wanders into a world that would eventually destroy him. Initially set to write a piece on how the murders affected the townspeople, he eventually changes it based on his interviews with the killers. As he grows close to one of them, Perry Smith (Daniel Craig), Capote’s mental state goes further to the edge.
And the thing about Infamousis that to watch it is to compare it to Capote; while perhaps unfair, both deal with the same story and the same characters. The difference is in how each film handles the particulars. What sets Infamous apart from Capote is that it looks towards the emotional aspect of Capote’s life as opposed to the more intellectual aspect of Capote . Our glimpse is into how Capote felt and its ultimate effects on him.
And while the story is good, as it’s nearly identical to Capote, the film’s cast is the difference between the two. Infamous may have the higher profile cast but the performances for the most part aren’t as good. Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, et al, give good performances but no one stands out as great. Most of the higher-profile members aren’t given much screen time; one could almost wonder why a cast as prolific as this was assembled when most are underused or make glorified cameo appearances.
Another problem with Infamous is that its story-telling manner is a bit awkward; in-between chunks of story there are segments in which the characters reflect upon the events that have happened from a vantage point in the future. While it lends some perspective to the events, it’s done sporadically enough that it derails the film’s pace early and often. They are placed at inopportune moments throughout; with more consistent placing or exclusion altogether the film wouldn’t suffer nearly as much.
The film’s lead actor, however, doesn’t disappoint. Jones is more than capable of carrying the film when necessary, which isn’t all too often, but he does a good job inhabiting the shoes of the famed author.
The Audio
Presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround format, the film sounds terrific. This is a dialogue heavy film, and as such doesn’t push the format very hard, but it does come through well.
The Video
Infamous is presented in a widescreen format and has a terrific transfer. While the film doesn’t push the limits in terms of its visuals, the picture looks great.
The Extras
Commentary by Douglas McGrath
Theatrical trailer
