‘Imagine being told your work lacked kindness by a four-time killer…’
Sometimes, a performance becomes so iconic that any previous attempts at the same character become moot. Nobody remembers Brian Cox’s take on Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter because Anthony Hopkins made the role his own in Silence of the Lambs. And so it goes for Toby Jones and Truman Capote. His performance here would no doubt be much more lauded if we weren’t treated to Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s take on the character around the same time. This is a shame because there is plenty to enjoy here…
Following the brutal slaying of the Clutter family, legendary writer Truman Capote (Jones) develops a relationship with Perry Smith (Daniel Craig), one of the two men responsible for the murders. Capote splits his time between meeting with Smith on death row and hanging around with the great and good of the literary scene. Namely, Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock) and Babe Paley (Sigourney Weaver).
In Cold Blood, the subsequent book that appeared in the wake of the Clutter murders, cemented Capote’s legend, and also birthed the true crime genre that has become so prevalent in recent years. It is an astonishing book, and the story of how it came together is just as compelling as the book itself; hence why we have had two critically acclaimed films on the subject. Alas, even such fertile ground for storytelling can only really support one feature film, and this one will always live in the shadow of the other one.
Infamous is not quite as good as Capote, the other film on this topic, but it works as a wonderful companion piece to that film, and any film featuring a cast this talented should not be overlooked.