There have been many overrated films in 2005. This is not one of them.

Rating: 9/10 (25 February 2006)

SPOILERS THROUGH:
If ever there was a movie that defines the term "character study" it would be "Capote." The film is a near masterpiece and that's quite strongly due to Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I've been a fan of his for years and have never seen a film he was in where he wasn't extraordinary. And Capote maybe his best performance yet.
I did not know a lot about this story before I saw the film. My main draw in seeing it was the incredible reviews and the presence of Hoffman in the title role. I went into the theater mildly curious and came out overwhelmed by the performances, not just from Hoffman But Catherine Keener and Clifton Collins Junior(who should have been nominated for best supporting actor.) Capote isn't overrated, it's a highly underrated film. I really don't know a lot of people who have seen it.
Capote does have a kind of slow buildup and takes awhile to get going but when it does it's gripping. It's the kind of film it's difficult to say you "have fun watching" but it sure is a film you respect the heck out of while your watching it. I definitely see why it's up for an Oscar and though it is not my favorite film of the year, it's certainly one of the most riveting.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman becomes Capote so much so, that you forget who he is and the relationship between Capote and Perry is full of complexities, incredibly developed on screen and utterly fascinating. And I must really mention Clifton Collins Junior again who's portrayal of Perry should have landed him a best supporting actor nomination.
What this film does so skillfully and so well, is lure the audience in. The beginning is slow and features a large amount of short quick scenes of parties and dinners. I will admit my attention wandered. The tension doesn't build like a typical film because it's tough to know how much one is getting into the film until their already deeply involved. It becomes less a film one is watching and more just a look into one person's inner being. Capote's a strange and uncomfortable film, brutal at times, shocking many times and one that also at times, leaves a bad taste in your mouth because of the unrelenting and gritty structure but it's always brilliantly acted, and an excellent character study.