One-trick pony

Rating: 3/10 (9 April 2006)

I don't know why the filmmakers of "Capote" had a bone to pick with Truman Capote as a person, but it certainly doesn't justify the 114 minutes of this excruciatingly dull and simplistic movie. The whole film is based on one idea: Truman Capote was a jerk. A flamboyant, self-conscious egotist. That's it! Nothing more, nothing less. He uses the murderers of the Kansas farmer family as the subjects of his "In Cold Blood" novel, manipulates to work out the trust between him and the perpetrators, paying the lawyer fees, etc. By the time killers had been expecting the most his friendship and financial support, he dumped them because "In Cold Blood" was finished . This film does a great disservice to the readers of Truman Capote  a fine writer, the author of such great American classics as "Breakfast of Tiffanys', "Other Voices, Other Rooms", "Grass Harp". Although Capote may have been quite an ugly person, it doesn't justify this one-sided portrayal.
On P.S. Hoffman as Capote. Truman Capote with his queeny mannerisms and lisp voice is an easy target for a character actor like Hoffman. So, what does he actually do with this material? He just replays his ostentatious gay character in "Flawless". Besides the lack of drag outfits, there's not much difference. This would do fine on a comedy show like SNL, but on a feature-length movie, it becomes annoying.
Overall, I would expected much more subtlety and, dare I say, "depth" in portrayal of such a complex individual as Truman Capote.