|
Man, it just breaks my heart to write about a movie like this. Bless every single one of you who clicked this story and are reading it now, not because I’m glad you’re reading what I have to say, but rather because you care enough to find out what the hell is going on with Infamous. There’s a whole lot of Who Cares going around on this film. It’s become known as that other Capote movie and countless folks have questioned whether this is just a blatant rip-off or a movie that should have been cancelled when the other, the Oscar Award Winning Capote, managed to get into production first. Because really, who needs two films about the same guy during the same period of his life so close together?
Who does? You do. That’s right, you do.
When I first wrote about Capote a scant 51 weeks ago, I was under whelmed. The performances were great, but the story had a lot to be desired. It moved like molasses in January and seemed to be the film for those who were very familiar with Capote and his work. Those unfamiliar were left in the cold to watch a film that had great characters and almost nothing for them to do. And I’ll be honest, the idea of seeing another movie like that scared the crap out of me. Had my schedule tonight not so suddenly cleared up, I probably wouldn’t have seen Infamous at all.
But man oh man, was I glad I did. While Capote is the better made film, in terms of it’s glossy look and powerhouse performances, Infamous is quite simply the better film. Across the board I find this film superior in every aspect but look. Infamous has a very normal, indie look, with very few beautiful visual cues. But the characters are more three-dimensional, the pacing never loses stride and the story is better told. All the holes that were so painfully obvious in Capote are absent here.
Now I hate that I have to spend the bulk of this review comparing this film directly to another, but the comparison is really unavoidable at this point. This film no longer stands alone as intended. Its predecessor won an Oscar and was nominated for four others. Odds are that anyone seeing this one has already seen the last one. And odds are you’re reading this to find out just how it stacks up.
It’s a film that quite frankly I wish stood alone. After seeing this, there’s almost no reason for the earlier film to exist. Sure, I’m glad Hoffman got the Oscar he has so richly deserved for so long, and I’m over the moon that many people got to finally recognize Clifton Collins Jr. for the talent he has. But once you’ve seen Infamous, you’ll never find a real reason to go back and visit Capote. At all.
Infamous is a wonderfully told story, that captures not only the sadness of the story and the brutality of the crime, but also the real wit, charm and personality of Truman Capote himself. Truman was an American Icon, our very own Oscar Wilde. A haughty mix of intelligence, humor, craftiness and raw charisma blended with arrogance, smarminess and flamboyance. Those who knew him all described him as someone it was easy to both love and hate in the same breath. And here Toby Jones nails these aspects on all counts. While his performance doesn’t capture the overpowering level of Pathos that Hoffman did, his character is fuller, richer and far more easily likable and detestable. He personifies everything you’ve ever read or seen about Capote. Watching Jones go back and forth between Kansas and Socialite Central, New York really does a great job of conveying the character in all its glory.
The movie, and particularly Jones’ performance, is funny as hell. Every witty crack, every snarky come back, is hilarious. And much like director Douglas McGrath’s previous (and criminally underseen) effort, Nicholas Nickleby, this film does an amazing job shifting from humorous frivolity to deep sadness at the drop of a hat without ever feeling tonally inappropriate.
And I’m just gonna say this now so I don’t have to repeat myself a half dozen times. Every character, EVERY CHARACTER, is a hell of a lot more interesting here than in Capote. And that quality comes from the writing. This version of the story is simply better told. And while I honestly believe that the quality of the cast is better in Capote (especially with this cast being almost sneer worthy for the more effete among you), these are the characters I feel more at ease with, performances I simply enjoy more, and frankly will watch again.
The relationship between Capote and Harper Lee is incredible. Yes, I know Lee is being played by Sandra Bullock, and she acts her fucking ass off here, giving her best performance…well, pretty much ever. Here, you get it. These two are best friends and you completely understand why. The moments we spend with these two perfectly illustrates what drew these two very different people so close together. And when Lee brings heavy words to bear against Capote, it carries a hell of a lot more weight, because you know just how close they are. And Bullock gives an amazing monologue at the end of the film that just drops your jaw, makes you sit back and mutter “Wow” with a brilliantly written and delivered piece of prose that will hit you where you live.
Daniel Craig plays Perry Smith in a very different way as well, making him more manly, rugged and less manipulative. It’s very easy to see in this version just what attracted Capote to him, and their romance is much less pathetic. There’s certainly a lot to be said for Capote’s version of that ill-fated affair, but this one makes a lot more sense. You sense the attraction, you see how each fits as the other’s ideal. And anyone out there that still doubts Craig's talent owes it to themselves to see what he does here.
Jeff Daniels’ Alvin Dewey gets a lot more screen time and you see very clearly as he shifts from being disgusted by Truman to liking the hell out of him. The transition is perfect and watching the change in him take place shows not only a lot about him, but just how Capote affected people and why folks were drawn to him. And in one pivotal scene everything you ever need to know about Truman Capote becomes apparent.
And the most striking difference between the two versions is the amount of time we spend with Capote’s “swans”, the upper crust New York elite that Capote counted as his closest friends. Here we meet, get to know, and through a few short documentary style interviews get their personal accounts – and with such small roles, could have easily been given to unknowns. Instead, McGrath gave them to the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Hope Davis, Isabella Rossellini, and Peter Bogdanovich, allowing each small role to be given an incredible amount of weight. The dinner parties, events, and even quiet moments on their own with Capote wonderfully fleshes out Truman and keeps the pace from getting bogged down like its Predecessor.
I liked Capote. As I wrote last year, it’s a great character piece with some amazing performances. But it felt a bit hollow and wasn’t for everyone. Infamous is. Highly accessible, both fun and moving, this is hands down the better movie. I didn’t recommend Capote to my parents, but I will recommend this. If for some reason you still haven’t seen Capote see this one instead. If, however, you have seen it, there’s nothing keeping you from seeing this one. While it is telling the same story, it tells it better and has a ton of new material for you to drink in. Having seen the first, I was never for a moment bored by the second. Amazing as it seems, McGrath took the same story and made a completely different movie. For some reason, this one just feels more authentic.
While I’m saddened that such a good film is going to be largely ignored because of similar content, there’s a small part of me glad that this is the version that came second. Had it been the other way around, the great performances of Capote would have been crippled by the inferior script come Oscar time. People would have said “Sure Hoffman was great, but I like Jones’s Capote better. Even though it’s not the most powerful performance of the two.” And all the questions about Capote’s life that I had walking out of that film were answered in this one. But if I ever watch one of these films again, it’s gonna be Infamous. Sure it’s not as slick and pretty – but it’s a better film.
Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em. I know I will.
Massawyrm
Got something for the Wyrm? Mail it here.
|
