Intelligent, thoughtful and thought provoking

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2006)

This film evokes the late 50's - early 60's very well: the parties, the book reading, the family life in the rural parts of America.
For those who don't know, the film is about Truman Capotte and the writing of In Cold Blood. (I knew that Caapote had written Breakfast at Tiffanys; what I did not know was that In Cold Blood would not be followed up with an actual novel.) Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a brilliant performance of Dan Futterman's intelligent script. He almost becomes Truman Caopte, complicated, insecure, self-absorbed. His portrayal raises as many questions in my mind as it answers.
Catherine Keener is equally good as Harper Lee, as are Collins, Jr (as one of the men executed) and Chris Cooper.
It's an evocative, thoughtful film. And made even more masterful by good, solid performances, which foreshadow the screen's "What happened next" epilogues.
It's an interesting biography, not to be missed.