chilling and complex psychological study of the author

Rating: 9/10 (14 February 2006)

With his trademark curling lisp, high-pitched, squeaky voice and flamboyant mannerisms, it would have been easy for almost any actor to build a portrayal of Truman Capote on a foundation of studied mimicry and impersonation alone. But in "Capote," Phillip Seymour Hoffman goes far beyond surface recreation, plumbing the core of the inner man and bringing him to palpable life on the screen. Most eloquent in his silences, Hoffman mesmerizes us with his performance.
Based on a book by Gerald Clarke, "Capote" deals with the period in which the author struggled through to create his literary masterpiece, "In Cold Blood," a book he claimed as the beginning of a whole new genre of writing, the "nonfiction novel." In November 1959, a family of four was brutally slaughtered in their Kansas farmhouse by two drifters in search of cash, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. Capote, a successful writer and bon vivant of the literati set in Manhattan, found himself drawn to the case, venturing to the heart of the country with his lifelong friend, Harper Lee (author of "To Kill a Mockingbird"), to interview the accused killers and try to make some sense of the whole thing. The screenplay by Dan Futterman zeroes in with stiletto-like precision on the complex relationship that develops between Capote and Perry, the more "sensitive" of the two killers. Capote is drawn to this man in so powerful a fashion that even he is unable to figure out exactly why. Is it because he senses something in Perry's past that reminds him of his own (both suffered from abandonment issues), thus creating a sort of kinship between them? Is he attracted to Perry sexually and romantically? Or is he being subtly manipulated by an evil man who senses in this author a weakness and vulnerability he can exploit for his own nefarious purposes? It is a tribute to the complexity of the film-making that we feel that none of these and all of these possibilities may be true simultaneously. And what is so great about Hoffman's performance is that he builds on this ambiguity. We are never entirely sure if Capote truly cares for Perry or if he is merely using him to get what he needs for the book. And the way Hoffman plays him, Capote never seems quite sure either. He is obviously drawn to Perry with a sort of grim fascination, as anyone might be who encounters a person whose actions are as inexplicable and yet larger-than-life as Perry's. But when it all becomes too much for Capote and he begins to ignore Perry's demands for attention, is he doing so out of indifference or disgust at himself for being so drawn to this person in the first place? Is this fascination with Perry revealing dark truths about Capote that the man himself is unwilling or unable to acknowledge? The film never answers those questions - as well it shouldn't.
Clifton Collins Jr. is also very powerful as Perry, providing the sensitivity and charisma the character needs to make the story convincing. In a rich performance as Harper Lee, Catherine Keener serves as the moral center of gravity to which Capote must continually return in order to finish his work and maintain his grip on reality.
In his first non-documentary film, Bennett Miller demonstrates remarkable control as a director. His spare film-making style perfectly reflects not only the harsh Midwest setting but the chamber-like drama that is unfolding within it. It is a very "interior" film, and Miller is not afraid to linger long on his scenes, allowing the actors free rein in establishing their rhythms and building the drama.
Although come Oscar night, I will be rooting for Heath Ledger to take home the trophy (I believe his performance in "Brokeback Mountain" is the high point of acting in recent times), I will certainly understand it if the Academy chooses to honor Hoffman's work here instead. It would definitely be my second choice.