Comparisons between films on the same subject are usually separated by decades rather than one year, but last year's CAPOTE (2005), starring Philip Seymour Hoffman is now being shadowed by the 2006 release of this film, INFAMOUS. And shadowed is the operative word here, simply because Capote towers both in acting and cohesive story structure over Infamous.
Probably the biggest issue with Infamous is its piecemealing together of the various story threads, giving the entire production a herky-jerky feel to it. Also, taking nothing away from Toby Jones's performance as the effeminate Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman pulled in a finer performance thanks to a much smoother flowing storyline.
The best acting part in Infamous would have to be Daniel Craig's portrayal of Perry Smith, one of the murderers whom Truman Capote gets close to in order to finish his greatly successful novel, In Cold Blood. A novel that not only makes Truman Capote but breaks him as well, for he wrote nothing up to that standard for the rest of his life. Clifton Collins Jr. did an admirable job as Perry in the film Capote, but Craig stuns and surprises after seeing his gruff debonair-ness in the wildly successful CASINO ROYALE (2006).
Another problem with Infamous is that there are some big name actors/actresses in it if for no other reason than to say, "Hey. There are some big name actors/actresses in this movie." Jeff Daniels, Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini, Hope Davis, and a slew of others lend their names but not much of their talent to the film. A shame, too, as many of them are fine actors/actresses. Jeff Daniels might be the exception in that list, but not by much.
Certainly there are some entertaining portions to the film, especially whenever the social elite reveal secrets to one another (especially to Truman who is their constant confidant) and promise not to spread it around ...and then inevitably do the very moment they get a chance. That was quite entertaining. But, as a whole, the story's script flagged horribly in the end, never really making the viewer care about any of these once vibrantly active people (murderer and social butterfly alike). And that's what helped the film Capote succeed over this one.
Probably the biggest issue with Infamous is its piecemealing together of the various story threads, giving the entire production a herky-jerky feel to it. Also, taking nothing away from Toby Jones's performance as the effeminate Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman pulled in a finer performance thanks to a much smoother flowing storyline.
The best acting part in Infamous would have to be Daniel Craig's portrayal of Perry Smith, one of the murderers whom Truman Capote gets close to in order to finish his greatly successful novel, In Cold Blood. A novel that not only makes Truman Capote but breaks him as well, for he wrote nothing up to that standard for the rest of his life. Clifton Collins Jr. did an admirable job as Perry in the film Capote, but Craig stuns and surprises after seeing his gruff debonair-ness in the wildly successful CASINO ROYALE (2006).
Another problem with Infamous is that there are some big name actors/actresses in it if for no other reason than to say, "Hey. There are some big name actors/actresses in this movie." Jeff Daniels, Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini, Hope Davis, and a slew of others lend their names but not much of their talent to the film. A shame, too, as many of them are fine actors/actresses. Jeff Daniels might be the exception in that list, but not by much.
Certainly there are some entertaining portions to the film, especially whenever the social elite reveal secrets to one another (especially to Truman who is their constant confidant) and promise not to spread it around ...and then inevitably do the very moment they get a chance. That was quite entertaining. But, as a whole, the story's script flagged horribly in the end, never really making the viewer care about any of these once vibrantly active people (murderer and social butterfly alike). And that's what helped the film Capote succeed over this one.