Movie Review: Infamous

“Infamous” follows the story of writer Truman Capote during the time he began to write his novel “In Cold Blood”.

Toby Jones is excellent as Capote. I’m sure there has been much comparison between Jones and Philip Seymour Hoffmann’s portrayal of the writer as well as the films. “Capote” was filmed in 2005 but released in February 2006, probably a little too close to the “Infamous” release date of November 2006. Both are great performances and markedly different. To me Hoffmann’s performance was brilliant and deserved his well earned Oscar. Jones resembles the real life Capote quite a bit. “Infamous” shows more of Capote’s social side including his lack of secrecy even regarding his best of friends.

The scenes between Capote and Perry, played by Daniel Craig, are wonderfully crafted. Daniel Craig is quite an actor and this role shows his abilities to the fullest extent. Great supporting performances by Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Daniels and Isabella Rossellini round out the cast. A subtle performance was provided by Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee. It is unfortunate that Ms. Bullock has not been cast in this type of role all along in her career as it showcases her abilities for dramatic acting.

I preferred the screenplay and direction of “Capote” over “Infamous”. Both are excellent films and show different visions of the writer Truman Capote during his rise into literary history and the life time damage caused by getting too close to his subject.

2006. Written and directed by Douglas McGrath. Starring Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver, John Benjamin Hickey, Jeff Daniels and Isabella Rossellini.

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