Stunning and riveting

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2006)

This movie should have won the Oscar for the best picture. It has everything a great movie needs: spectacular cinematography, a riveting script, phenomenal actors, and a chilling score.
It draws you into the plot slowly and lets you discover your way to the climax. I have never seen a movie where the silences are just as important as any of the words that are said. Capote does more with a 2 minute silence then most movies can do with 20 minutes of dialogue.
There are two standout performances in this movie, the first is Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Here is an actor who has been around Hollywood for fifteen years and I didn't really know his name until now. When I look at his list of credits, his roles always seem to be ones that people remember, even if they don't know his name. He is fantastic as Truman Capote, capturing the man to a "T". Somehow, he made me love Capote and hate him at the same time...not an easy feat! He doesn't minimize the arrogance and self-centeredness that Truman Capote was accused of. I was glad to see him get the recognition he deserves for this role.
The other standout performance is Clifton Collins, Jr. Collins is another actor who has been around forever, but in the background. As Perry Smith, one of the two men who killed a family in rural Kansas. His performance will let you see the man behind the murderer as sad, misunderstood and almost frail.
That is until we hear him talk about the murders. Then we see in his eyes the madness, the cruelty and the heartlessness that must have been present in the real Perry Smith.
This movie is a must see, not only for Truman Capote's fans, but for anyone who is fascinated by true crime dramas.