Some Questions Can't Be Answered

Rating: 9/10 (7 November 2005)

In today's world of comic-book heroes, reality-TV, Red and Blue States, artistic pretense and a movie culture that seems intent on trading subtlety for predigested thought, Capote is more than a breath of fresh air; it's an artistic resurrection. It is why films are made.
To be sure, Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance is brilliant. In a role that could have been mere caricature, he invests so much into the character of Capote I wonder if he has more depth to him than the original. For those who remember "the real" Capote, there are plenty of scenes paying homage to the New York culture of the fifties and sixties that basked in the glow of the legendary Capote wit, style and bon vivant attitude that became his trademark. At the same time, just below the perfect Bergdorf-clad couture, Hoffman brings us a man fundamentally changed by his quest to write the nonfiction book of the decade. This Capote moves from being the poster-boy of the Jet-set, to being a portrait painted in magnificent hues of ambiguity. Questions are left unanswered about Truman's motivations, his understanding of himself and just how his world has changed. When finished taking in the performance, you will not have fallen in love with Hoffman's Truman Capoteyou might even like him. But you will understand him better than before.
Screenwriter Dan Futterman has created a masterful script which drives the story in an almost organic way, with a wonderful sense of pace that time and time again makes us feel a real sense of empathy for Capote and then reminding us with a narrative uppercut that in Capote's case, nice is often different than good.
Bennett Miller captures the era well, with the at times almost gritty feel of a documentary and a very light touch that allowed the acting and story to shine through. Visually, he creates an interesting balance between the almost sterile expanses of the Midwest in winter, the warmth of Spain and the cosmopolitan cacophony of the New York scene, all while keeping that documentary honesty.
An excellent supporting cast balances out the best film I've seen yet this year and one of the best I've seen in a very long time. There is no nice, satisfying ending and many questions are thankfullyleft unanswered. But if you're looking for a film that will make you think, feel and keep talking about it long after having left the theater, then this is the film for you. If not, I'd recommend catching the boxed set of Survivor. Not too much ambiguity there.