Not very gripping, but watchable, mainly because of Philip Seymour Hoffman

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2006)

I must admit Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance is impressive and he IS dead on as Truman Capote, with all his typical mannerisms, his nasal whiny voice, the way he held his cigarette. But as far as I'm concerned, these Oscar-worthy performances are of minor importance if an intriguing story is lacking, especially for a film as cold and distant as this one. There wasn't a single moment that really stood out, that really grabbed me by the collar. Just about everything about the film seems perfect, great performances all around, great cinematography some sharp observations, but the result is - contrary to what director Bennett Miller claims - very sedating. Basically the approach was, 'let's keep it simple.' In many cases, this is a wise tactic, but I longed and kept waiting for a gripping story, that never took of.
When Truman Capote befriended Perry Miller, one of the killers, I expected some kind of confrontation between them. There was a certain build-up, a tension, but in the end of the film, their relationship halted. No show-down or deeper character development. It just seemed to fade away.
Perhaps CAPOTE is just a little too perfect. Based on the usual criteria, it's hard to dismiss the film, but I stopped caring about these screen biographies (I know it's not a screen bio, strictly speaking) coming out of Hollywood. Watch it for Philip Seymour Hoffman, but don't expect much fireworks.
Camera Obscura --- 6/10