Worthy of watching

Rating: Null/10 (9 March 2006)

This film became available in a nearby theatre just recently. I saw it last weekend. It's a pity that it's been in such limited release in movie house around here. I went into the room not knowing who Truman Capote was. I did a quick google on him before leaving. Something about him being a writer. Oh. Okay. Wasn't much to go on there.
The sets, wardrobe and cinematography were brilliantly done for this movie. I like period pieces that look like - the places you've been where time hasn't changed. The acting was very well done by the entire cast. Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Truman Capote) appears to have nailed the real Capote's personality. For that, I go on clips from the Johnny Carson show. The way Capote talked was unusual and uniquely his own style. It's amazing that he was apparently openly gay in the old boy's clubs of NYC. In the 1950's?! That he downplayed it, heading south - that seemed like someone would do in that era. Heck, I'm guessing it's still done today in the Bible belt.
Capote said what people wanted to hear. Other times, he'd say/do the most eccentric things. I don't know if he was deliberately eccentric, or merely seeking attention. He reminded me of Andy Warhol. I just googled that name. It's not a surprise that they knew each other.
Capote scanned a newspaper in NYC and decided to arrive on a small town doorstep to write about a family that was murdered. The small town reacted in different ways. Sometimes it required the help of his best friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener). Keener was great as a supporting actor. She delivered some of the best lines in the movie. The funniest scene being when her screenplay To Kill A Mockingbird becomes a success. I was surprised to learn that he was 'connected' to that classic movie somehow.
The evolution of prisoner Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr) is gradual, and you sort of want to cheer for the underdog. Capote's swings of concern and indifference are what this movie is mainly about. Why was he that way? There didn't seem to be an answer, other than he did what was in his own best interests. Only Harper Lee knew him for what he really was. This movie left a lot open to speculation. Unless you are willing to do research on the man. I recommend not doing that until you see the movie. I take this film to be a depiction and interpretation. If you want extreme depth, you watch the Biography or Documentary channels. This is a factual and cinematic presentation to me.