Capote is a complex film that explores the life of American author Truman Capote on a number of different levels. It centres on the research for and publication of In Cold Blood, his best-known literary work. In Cold Blood is what Capote called a non-fiction novel; it was the first of its kind. Using a mix of journalistic skill and literary finesse, he crafted one of the most remarkable books of the twentieth century as he reported on the 1958 murder of four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The film tracks all of the events surrounding his work on this book, and the effect it had on his life. At the heart of the film is Capote's relationship with Perry Smith, one of the two murderers, whom he interviews extensively, and with whom he forms a very personal relationship while compiling material for the book

Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of Truman Capote is nothing short of uncanny. Hollywood has produced a slew of biopics over the last few years, but no actor has embodied a character as completely as Hoffman does in this film. His voice, his mannerisms, his facial expressions are all eerily reminiscent of the author. It is almost impossible take your eyes off him as he finagles his way in and out of the Kansas legal system by flirting with the sheriff's wife and sweet talks the district attorney into giving him unlimited access to his files. From the way he wears an overcoat to the flamboyance with which he holds a gin and tonic, Hoffman deserves all of the praise he has been receiving (and anyone who has watched his career blossom over the last ten years knows that it's praise long overdue).

While this film easily could have become The Truman Show, a strong supporting cast balances Hoffman's remarkable performance. Catherine Keener portrays Nell Harper Lee with a subtle and droll sense of humour, and Chris Cooper plays the brooding district attorney with a sense of authority. The most underrated performance, however, comes from Clifton Collins Jr.: He elicits a remarkable amount of sympathy as he portrays Perry Smith, which is not an easy job as Smith murdered four innocent people over the approximate sum of sixty dollars. Collins and Hoffman play off each other in a subtle way, alerting the audience to the fact that there is a parasitic relationship between the two men, but constantly blurring the line between who is the host and who is the virus. Is Capote using his time with Smith only to improve the text of his book? Or is Smith using Capote as a means to achieve legal counsel and stays of execution that he would not otherwise be entitled to?

Dan Futterman's script is very good, minus a few slow scenes towards the end, when Capote's struggle with alcohol borders on melodrama. Director Bennett Miller has a very clear idea of the story he wants to tell, focusing on the juxtaposition of Capote's two lives. The film centres around the tension between Capote's profound friendship with the wounded, depraved Smith, and the fact that ultimately, he is a writer desperately seeking resolution. Miller uses landscape to reflect the tone of Capote's wildly different moods. Whenever Capote is in Kansas, there is an emphasis on the endless grey wheat fields, looming prison walls, and dark hotel rooms reminiscent of the dreary November morning on which the Clutter family was murdered. These scenes are cut with clips of his life in New York and Costa Brava, which are full of light and sunny blue skies. This is only Miller's second feature film, the first being a forgettable action film called The Cruise, but, based on the vision of Capote, I have high hopes for him in the future. He and Futterman (high school classmates) planned to collaborate on this project for a number of years – they must be thinking that the result was worth the wait.

Rated TBC (see IFCO website for details)
Capote is released on 24th February 2006.
Capote – Official website