MPAA Rating: R//Genre: Biographical Drama/Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Cooper, Bob Balaban, Bruce Greenwood, Amy Ryan, Mark Pellegrino, Allie Mickelson, Marshall Bell, Katherine Shindle, Araby Lockhart, Robert Huculak, R. D. Reid, Rob McLaughlin, Harry Nelken, C. Ernst Harth, Jeremy Dangerfield/Runtime: 114 minutes
A million plus years ago when I was in that rather infamous time of one’s life known as middle school, I was blessed with a trinity of English teachers who truly were top of their game and who I will always credit with, in their own distinct ways, shaping and molding me into the writer that I am today. Yet, among the many lessons that they each taught me on an individual level, there was one that all 3 collectively taught me which perhaps is why it has stuck with me even to this very day. That lesson being that when you are writing anything non-fiction related always do everything in your power to keep an objective and ethical lens at all times. Not just because doing so is crucial to building a welcome degree of trust and/or credibility with whoever sits down to read your work though that certainly is important. Rather, it is also because doing so permits every perspective to have a chance to make itself heard at some point in your work and (perhaps most important of all) the potential for that most crippling and infamous of writing ailments known as bias to rear its head at some point during your work is also dramatically reduced. This is crucial, all 3 went on to tell a fully-awake younger me and my mostly asleep classmates, because not only could it lead to the facts of a situation becoming misrepresented, but also because it could result in your personal thoughts and/or feelings bleeding into the work thereby inserting a perspective into the piece in question that it doesn’t need. Yet what if a person found themselves working on a story that still to this day is one that lends itself to a fair amount of debate as to the ethics involved in not only the telling of it, but also the manner in which the story came together in the first place? Indeed is it not possible that such a story could not only challenge the reader to say nothing of their sense of ethics/morality, but even cause quite an psychological impact quite possibly on the author of the piece as well? Well, and in case you hadn’t put two and five together yet dear reader, the reason I bring it up to you is because in the long-ago year of 2005 a slice of cinema was released that presented us with a possible answer to that question. That being the docudrama, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, Capote. A slice of cinema that may look like that cinematic cure for insomnia which you have been craving, but trust me when I say it is definitely more gripping and engaging than you might think. To be sure, it’s not a flawless sit by any stretch, but with the aid of solid work on both sides of the camera Capote “05” is a riveting look at how a seemingly simple story can have quite the impact on the writer bringing it to life in more ways than they could ever begin to imagine.
The plot is as follows: Based on the 1988 book of the same name by Gerald Clarke, Capote “05” takes us as movie goers back in time to the long-ago time and place of Holcomb, Kansas in the late 1950s. A seemingly picturesque little community that may have at one time been known for being named “Best Farming Community” for 10 years in a row by Farmer’s Monthly, but which is about to become regarded for something a lot more alarming (and a whole heck of a lot less positive). A something that takes the form of the horrific discovery one cold November day of the horrifically butchered bodies of the Clutter family consisting of patriarch Herbert, matriarch Bonnie, and their 2 children Nancy and Kenyon respectively on their farm in the nearby area. As shocked and chilled to the bone as this heinous crime manages to be to both the good townsfolk and the rest of the country in equal measure, there is at least one person who has a reaction that is perhaps a bit on the peculiar side. That being none other than the iconic author/playwright/socialite Truman Capote. This is because whereas most people see the terror and bloodshed in this monstrous situation, Capote sees an opportunity to write a truly compelling story about the incident, the parties involved, and the impact that the tragedy has managed to have on both the community and the nation. As a result, we see that it isn’t long before Capote, with childhood friend/highly skilled writer in her own right Harper Lee, is on his way to interview the key parties involved. Yet it isn’t long into really getting into the nuts and bolts of the story so to speak that we, along with Truman, witness as the diabolical duo behind this truly horrific crime are caught and swiftly brought back to Kansas to await punishment for their dastardly acts. An action that results in Truman getting the idea to take what was just going to be a story in a magazine and instead flesh it out more so into a full-blown novel. Perhaps this is why we soon see that Truman, with the aid of equal parts keen insight and a bit of *ahem* “financial persuasion” if you get my drift”, is granted almost unprecedented access to interview both of the suspects with particular regard to one by the name of Perry Smith. It isn’t long though before our intrepid writer starts to, against his better judgement, actually feel a degree of sympathy for Perry which, when you need closure for a story that truly only has one logical outcome, can really be quite the catalyst for the ethics of the situation becoming a bit on the blurry side. Thus, can Capote keep a firm grip on his objective lens and find a way to finish the story or is this one situation where he’s about to learn a serious lesson in the potential perils of a writer becoming involved in their own story to a significantly troubling degree? That is something I will let you discover on your own….
Now right off, I think it can be said without a doubt in my mind that the work done by the various departments operating behind the camera most assuredly does what it can to help make this an extremely solid little outing. Without question, this starts with the work done in the director’s chair by Bennett Miller (2011’s Moneyball and 2014’s Foxcatcher) and this is definitely top-tier work much like those other 2 cinematic outings. Indeed there are several things that help to distinguish Miller’s work here from some of his fellow filmmakers of a similar style. The first is that Miller is blessed with an attention to detail that is truly nothing short of impeccable which results in every single minute in the runtime being carefully molded in such a manner that it feels like that what matters the most to the story being told is what we are ultimately given in the final product rather than in scenes which wound up on the cutting room floor. Along with that, we see that Miller also does a terrific job of, much like David Mamet to a degree, ensuring that, before anything else, this slice of cinema’s narrative is one that is driven by and large through the characters at the heart of it. As a result, not only does this permit the film to really immerse itself on a deeper level into the various intricacies and nuances present in the characters, but it also really allows us as an audience to better comprehend who these people are especially in regard to the reasons they do what they do and the conflicts they find themselves facing throughout the story. Suffice it to say then that it might not have the flair or style as some other directors might bring to a film like this, but there is no denying that Miller’s work here is still incredibly well-done here. Besides the capable work done by Miller at the helm, this slice of cinema also manages to incorporate an extremely well-written screenplay from Dan Futterman. Indeed not only does Futterman try to be as honest and considerate as possible to the non-fictional elements of the story including the people and circumstances, but he also does a magnificent job at really showcasing for the audience an intricate look at Capote’s creative style, the ethical issues he dealt with, and the manner in which he handled them. Besides that dynamic duo, the film also gives us some truly beautiful work from Adam Kimmel in the cinematography department. Indeed not only does Kimmel do a terrific job in taking us back in time to the era in which the story is taking place, but he even is able to reinforce the solemn and contemplative tone perfectly through the utilization of a very subdued color palatte consisting mostly of black, gray, and white respectively. Lastly, I feel like this section would be woefully lacking if I didn’t devote some time in it to talk about the work done by Oscar-winner Mychael Danna (2012’s Life of Pi) on this slice of cinema’s musical accompaniment. Indeed not only does the score here do a fantastic job of being as somber as the story being told, but it also does a wonderful job of really aiding in putting an emphasis on both how psychologically complex the lead character is to say nothing of the solemnity of what we see occur on screen before us respectively. Suffice it to say that when you also take into account strong work from the editing department as headed by Oscar-nominated Christopher Tellefsen it’s clear that it might not be flawless, but there is no denying that the work done here definitely does what it can to make this an undeniably engaging viewing experience through and through.
Alongside the superb work done by the various departments behind the camera, this cinematic outing is also the blessed recipient of a terrific collection of performances in front of the camera courtesy of an impeccably chosen cast of talented individuals. Far and away, this starts with the work done by the late yet great Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the titular role and he is phenomenal here. Indeed not only does Hoffman brilliantly capture Capote’s distinct way of speaking and physical mannerisms, but he also excels at showcasing for us every side to this truly complicated yet undeniably impactful member of the writing community. I mean there is portraying someone and then there is embodying someone. Trust me when I say that what Hoffman is doing here is definitely the latter and then some in a manner that I have only seen done a few times both before and since on the level that he achieves here. In addition to the truly next level work done here by Hoffman, the film also provides us with a genuinely engaging performance from Catherine Keener as Harper Lee. Yes the amount of screentime that the character has here is sadly limited, but even so Keener still does a wonderful job of being both someone who is genuinely likable and a fantastic low-key foil to Hoffman’s brilliantly quirky and eccentric portrayal of Capote. At the same time though, we also see that Keener excels at also showing us, however subtly, Lee’s degree of disgust at the lengths that her friend is willing to go to tell the story his way rather than how it actually happened. Besides the dynamic work done by both Hoffman and Keener, this slice of cinema also features a truly remarkable turn from Clifton Collins Jr. (Cesar Vialpando in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) in the integral role of Perry Smith. Yes this character is very much an antagonist in this story no two ways about it, but in Collins Jr.’s capable hands we see that he is also given a broken and wounded quality to him that results in us as an audience actually feeling sorry for the guy to a degree despite the fact that we know he did willingly murder an entire family in (for lack of a better phrase) cold blood. Lastly, I feel like this section would most assuredly be lacking if I didn’t take the time to focus on the work done here by the always enjoyable Chris Cooper (A Time to Kill, October Sky, and many others) in the small yet pivotal role of KBI Special Agent Alvin Dewey. Indeed he might only have 20-30 minutes of screentime tops in this, but even so there is no denying that Cooper does a terrific job of being a mix of both increasingly wary plus exasperated by Capote and his antics whilst also driven and determined to do whatever it takes to first find the Clutter family’s killers and then to ensure that justice is done and they are punished for their actions regardless of if Capote finishes his book or not. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in wonderful work from such performers as Bob Balaban (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Bruce Greenwood, Amy Ryan (Holly in the American version of The Office), Mark Pellegrino (Lucifer for all you Supernatural fans out there), and iconic character actor Marshall Bell (Stand By Me, the 1990 Total Recall, and General Owen in Starship Troopers among others) it’s clear that more than quite a few of the characters in this might not get as much in terms of characterization as the lead, but even so the work done across the board by this cast is still undeniably impressive and they all manage to shine no matter how much or little in terms of screentime and/or narrative substance they are given.
All in all and at the end of the day is Capote “05” a flawless masterpiece in every sense of the word and then some? Sadly that is not a claim I am prepared to make though most assuredly by no means is that meant to be an insult to the quality of work given to us as movie goers by the insanely talented parties operating on either side of the camera. With that said, is this the worst slice of cinema made by any of the parties involved? Thankfully no I can definitely say that though in regards to what that would be I honestly cannot say since, by and large, most of the work made by these individuals has been at the very least solid in most respects. With that in mind however, I do feel that, as terrific of a slice of cinema as I found this to be, this is not going to be everyone’s preferred type of cinematic brew. Not just because of the slow yet methodical pace that this film chooses to operate with to say nothing of the subject material that it revolves around, but because this is not a slice of cinema that contains much in the way of fisticuffs, suspense, car chases, explosions, or even visceral content so if you are looking for a slice of cinema that gives you all of those things then you might wish to look elsewhere because this is not the film you are looking for. Along with that, it should also be pointed out that this film’s story, for as riveting as it is, is also one that is a bit spotty when it comes to certain points that it alleges to be truth. With that in mind however, it should be said that I really do dig the heck out of this movie dear reader. Indeed the work done in the director’s chair is definitely solid, the cinematography is hauntingly beautiful to look at, the soundtrack is effectively ominous and gloomy in equal measure, and the performances (with particular regard to the ones provided by Hoffman, Keener, Collins, and Cooper) are all top-flight in every sense of the word. Suffice it to say then that Capote “05” is more than the story of a man and one of the defining stories of his career; rather, it is also a tale about moral ambiguity, objectivity, and just how blurry the ethical line can become for a writer especially when a story comes along that could provide them with great success and fame despite the cost being no less than perhaps their integrity and soul. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Capote “05” a solid 4 out of 5.
