Suffering for Art

Rating: 9/10 (15 August 2006)

Truman Capote was an egotistical jerk who basked in his fame and high-level intelligence... but you gotta hand it to him - no matter how much of a deceiving diva he was, he was intelligent (94% recall of conversation?!?) and ahead of his time. Capote follows the self-proclaimed author of the first "nonfiction novel," In Cold Blood, through the making of his most famous work. He continuously pokes and prods one of two men convicted of murdering a family for information for what he knows will be the work he's remembered for, all the while lying to him about the progress of the book. While the accused Perry Smith's alibi comes in at a close second, my favorite scene is Capote's final meeting with his inspirations; at once, he fully realizes at what cost his book will be finished. You don't want to feel sorry for him, but it's hard not to. There is some strong acting going on from Catherine Keener and (needless to say) this year's well-deserved Best Actor Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, but my favorite performance comes from Clifton Collins, Jr. as Perry Smith in a breakthrough showcase. Everything in Capote may not be 100% true, but it was still the best movie up for Best Picture at the Oscars.