Capote

Before I saw this film all I knew about Truman Capote was that he was the man behind Breakfast At Tiffany’s. When I heard about the story of this film I was surprised that the creator of Holly Golightly was also the author of In Cold Blood, a non-fiction novel about the murders of a Kansas family and their killers. The plot of the film simply follows Capote at the stage of his life while writing the aforementioned novel and his ambiguous involvement and soon-to-be friendship with the criminals while he researches for his book. Capote is a quiet film, with eerie calmness in conservative Kansas and a contrastingly loud New York City full of socialites. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives his all as the ultimately selfish author that lets his novel detach himself from the humanitarian that he somewhat pretends to be towards the killers. It is a fascinating depiction of Capote’s struggle between what is best for his book versus two human lives that are depending on him for humanizing their actions. It is truly an Oscar-worthy film with Hoffman completely stealing the show with his crack-up Capote that surprises you with laughs and tears.

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Cooper
Director: Bennett Miller
Runtime: 98 minutes