Stars:
Phillip Seymour Hoffman,
Catherine Keener,
Clifton Collins Jr.,
Chris Cooper,
Bob Balaban,
Bruce Greenwood,
Amy Ryan,
Mark Pellegrino,
Dan Futterman,
Allie Mickelson,
Marshall Bell,
Araby Lockhart,
Robert Huculak
Director:
Bennett Miller
Summary: When a horrific murder rocks the peaceful community of Holcomb, Kansas, legendary writer Truman Capote is inspired to record the shocking true story in his novel IN COLD BLOOD. Capote--accompanied by fellow wordsmith Nell Harper Lee (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD)--travels to the Midwest in search of answers, and ends up becoming emotionally involved with one of the killers as they await trial.
Bennett Miller's CAPOTE is a finely crafted biopic that recounts a historic chapter in American history and, in the process, captures the unravelling of a truly gifted mind. Starring an extraordinary Philip Seymour Hoffman as the legendary Truman Capote, the film concentrates on the seven-year period during which Capote wrote his groundbreaking non-fiction novel, IN COLD BLOOD. One morning in 1959, Capote learned of a horrific family killing in Holcomb, Kansas. With the intention of writing an article for the New Yorker, he travelled to the Midwest with his good friend Nell Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), who was about to publish her own masterwork, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Somehow, the soft-spoken, eccentric writer managed to earn the trust of local authorities most notably, reserved K.B.I. agent Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper). But when the two killers were caught and returned to Kansas to await trial, Capote began to form an intense emotional bond with one of them, Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr). The pressure of this connection threatened to push an already fragile Capote into the darkest recesses of himself. His only hope was to finish the book that he was convinced would shock the nation and change the course of writing forever. Hoffman's tender portrayal of the writer is a remarkable achievement. He slips into the skin of Capote flawlessly, allowing viewers to experience Capote's inner turmoil for themselves. Keener and Cooper once again deliver compassionate performances. But it is Miller's overall vision, based on a script by Dan Futterman and beautifully realised by his technical collaborators (especially director of photography Adam Kimmel and production designer Jess Gonchor), that makes CAPOTE an Oscar-worthy production.