Breathtaking and heartbreaking

Rating: 10/10 (7 March 2006)

I am relatively unfamiliar with Truman Capote and the story of "In Cold Blood," but I was moved beyond the point of tears by this affecting and note-perfect film. Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance is an uncanny embodiment -- greater and more effective than any kind of fancy special effects. (Supporting work by Clifton Collins was incredible as well, and it was an absolute travesty he was overlooked completely by the Academy Awards.) Hoffman gives the best performance by an American actor in recent memory, but he never overshadows the emotional core of the film as a whole. A great achievement in film-making and the true best picture of 2005.