"Capote", the initial telling of Truman Capote's writing of In Cold Blood was released in 2005 and won Philip Seymour Hoffman an Oscar, plus received four other Oscar nominations. Yet, within a year another movie on the In Cold Blood story was released, "Infamous". What possessed the producers of the latter to make another movie on the subject, and so soon after the former, I do not know. Perhaps it was already in the works when Capote was released and they decided to push ahead anyway.This said, I enjoyed Infamous more than Capote. While good, Capote was cold, almost documentary-like. Infamous is warmer and more emotional. It vividly captures the relationship between Truman Capote and Perry Smith, one of the murderers. The execution scene is particularly harrowing. Plus it gives a more explicit indication of the effect that the writing of In Cold Blood, and its success, had on Capote. The character depth is greater in Infamous too, and not Capote's character. The New York social scene helps greater a wider breadth of characters, and proves much warmth to the story.Great performance by Toby Jones as Capote. Good support from Daniel Craig as Perry Smith, Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee and Jeff Daniels as the police chief. Some big names in minor roles too, and none of them disappoint: Sigourney Weaver, Peter Bagdanovich, Hope Davis, Isabella Rossellini and Gwyneth Paltrow.The definitive story of the writing of In Cold Blood, and its aftermath.

I first saw 'Capote' and Philip Seymour Hoffman knocked me out, truly, I thought he was great. I had never even heard of this version until I found the DVD for sale in a second-hand shop and was intrigued to see what it made of the same basic events.Now I am a whole-hearted 'Infamous' fan, while still paying my respects to 'Capote' which seems to have higher production values and better cinematography (all those beautiful shots of the Kansas - or is that Canadian? - plains). Why? Because this film does not just show Truman Capote as lying (no title for the book, "I've hardly written a word"), selfish, manipulative, consumed with self-pity when he can't get the ending to his book, and ultimately ashamed of himself for wanting Perry Smith to hang.Here Truman Capote sets out to write his masterpiece, and slowly comes to realise that he really cares about one of the people involved. He never expected writing a book about others would have an impact on himself, that the society lifestyle he loved would show itself to be shallow and unsatisfying in the face of the brutality of murder and execution. This is where Toby Jones scores over PSH, in my view. He shows more depth and a fuller view of Capote's personality and feelings as the case drags on through the courts. His Capote seems to be asking himself: 'What do I really feel about this? How do I face the reality of it?' Another strength of this version is Sandra Bullock's Harper Lee. You can see why Capote needed her common-sense and friendship, while he could still feel he was her superior in terms of output.If you have seen 'Capote', do watch this too, it is well worth it.

While this film will needlessly draw comparisons with "Capote" as a Rashomon-retelling of the same story, it deserves praise and stands ably on its own. Where "Capote" can be acerbic, here is chroma and clamor. "Capote" sometimes feels sterile, while "Infamous" is alive with the bacteria that keep systems thriving. "Infamous" is a film of astounding emotional range, from laughing-at-self sarcasm to emotions as tender and moist as an emerging lepidopteran. This film may have been sandbagged for release because of its on screen moment when a figleaf comes off: Daniel Craig (at the time of production soon to be unfurled as the new hopelessly masculine James Bond) as the imprisoned killer shares a gay crush and homoerotic kiss with Toby Jones as Capote. Here is a rare Sandra Bullock performance that this reviewer truly venerates, as Harper Lee replete with all her well-known vexations. Less is more here: while this film may not aim for the aerie eagle heights of "Capote," it is incandescent, warm, wry, with a lovely color palette, and always keeps a firm human touch on its complex characters and narrative. Where "Capote" is starched, "Infamous" is delightfully wrinkled.

"Infamous" is the second film telling the story of Truman Capote and his involvement with the killers of the Clutter family in Kansas. Released in 2006, it stars Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver, Lee Pace, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rosellini, Peter Bogdanovich, and Juliet Stevenson.Comparisons to "Capote" starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman are natural, though the films are based on different books. "Infamous" is based on George Plimpton's book about Capote, and "Capote" is based on Gerald Clarke's.It's the same idea - Capote travels to Kansas to write an article about the Clutter family murders and decides to make it into a book. He argues with his friend and traveling companion, Harper Lee, about the form it will take because. after all, nonfiction isn't a fictional novel. But in order to do any writing, Truman has to gain access to the D.A. Alvin Dewey (Jeff Daniels) and to the killers themselves, Dick and Perry (Lee Pace and Daniel Craig). Dick, a complete psychopath, has no trouble talking to Truman, but Perry is more reticent.It's ambiguous in both films just how much Capote played on Perry's need to be recognized as having the soul of an artist. The relationship started out at least to be based on lies. Here the sexual aspects of the relationship are more explored, and again, was Perry playing him or was he sincere? "Capote" dealt more with Truman's frustrations and guilt over his need to have a solid ending to his book, which couldn't happen until all the mens' appeals were used up. Here it's mentioned, and it's an issue, but the torture Truman suffers in "Capote" is palpable. Here the emphasis is more on the actual final result and the torture he suffered in its aftermath."Capote" was about Truman Capote, and the character of Harper Lee and other people in Capote's life was underused. Here, played by Sandra Bullock, she has much more to do, and we witness the dynamics of this important relationship. Bullock, by the way, does a terrific job as the down-to-earth, challenging woman who grew up with this man and takes the ride with him as long as she can.In "Infamous," we see Truman as the bon vivant, surrounded by friends like Babe Paley (Weaver), Slim Keith (Hope Davis), Bennett Cerf (Bogdanovich), Diana Vreeland (Stevenson) and Marella Agnelli (an impossibly beautiful Rosselini), and learn a bit about his relationship with lover Jack Dunphy (John Benjamin Hickey). The film uses a documentary style to "interview" some of these characters. All his dear friends, of course, would dump him when a segment of "Answered Prayers" was published, leaving Truman with a final, crushing heartbreak.As Truman Capote, Toby Jones looks and sounds just like him so much that it's eerie. His acting is excellent, with emphasis on the more flamboyant aspects of Capote's personality, where Hoffman's was more on the emotional and inner life of the man. It's a question of taste as to whom you like better, because both are marvelous. The surprise for most people will be Daniel Craig as Perry Smith, but it was no surprise for me, having seen him on stage in "A Steady Rain." The man is a chameleon, nothing less, totally wasted as James Bond and an equal to Daniel Day-Lewis or any of our film stars who are more thought of as "actors." The story of Truman Capote and his involvement with the killers of the Clutter family is a tragedy. Delusional Perry, who blamed everyone for his problems, lamenting what he could have been, feels he has so much in common with Capote. Yet he never realizes that despite this, Capote contributed to society while Perry took the lives of innocent people because Dick ordered him to do so.In the end, the guilt-ridden, saddened Capote basically stopped producing, drove away his friends and died an alcoholic drug-user. When they put the noose around Perry's neck, unfortunately, the noose went around Capote's as well. What price art.