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Hollywood studios are notorious for liberally borrowing ideas from each other, with the resulting clutch of similarly-themed films often bewildering the public as they try to... more
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A review by venice105 on Infamous (DVD) November 7th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
The lesser known Capote film, gives a different telling
Disadvantages:
Might be Capote'd out?
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Having recently joined Lovefilm, my household had become accustomed to the top choices of our list of films popping through the mailbox - this changed when recently, like a dull thud, came a film that was on our mid priority list. I had heard this happens with Lovefilm over time, so we shall see how this progresses. At any rate, the arrival of Infamous was met with a confused stare from hubby - "What's that?" Me (slightly confused as well as had forgotten what it was): "Er...it's the other Capote one". Now I had in fact wanted to see this at some point, despite not having seen the much lauded Capote. I figured I would see them both, but from what little I had heard of Infamous, it seemed to be a bit more lighthearted than Capote. Whilst dealing with the same period of his life, the writing of In Cold Blood, which was based on Capote's investigation and involvement with the murderers of a family in a small Kansas town.
Infamous opens with Truman Capote's social swirlwind of a life in the glamorous society of late fifties Manhattan. He flits from cocktail parties to lunches with his circle of "Swans" - rich, society ladies whose gossip he insinuates and draws from clearly in his work - it is easy to see why he was so successful at creating the effervescent fizz of Manhattan in Breakfast at Tiffany's, while at the same time working his own southern roots into the story. In this telling, Toby Jones plays the infamous one with charm, verve, and tenacity. There is a real bravery to the brazen-ness of this performance, and while the voice is a shocking creation I have read several accounts that is far closer to the real thing than Hoffman's more subtle turn. The voice he created is something like Deputy Dog on helium, and initially it is very giggle-worthy. This film is based on the book "Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career" by George Plimpton, and contains many addressed to camera vignets of the friends of Capote recounting their observations of the man.
His social circle is not explored with any great depth, but it is amusingly portrayed, with Capote's insincere promises of confidentiality evaporating the minute he gets a chance to gossip. The dinner party round table witticisms come off well, Jones delivers his punchlines with such ease it is easy to believe Capote could charm the social elite with whom his life was so destined to be intertwined. (It comes to light later in the film that Capote's mother was so obsessed with being a Park Avenue Princess and escaping her rural southern roots that she virtually abandonned her son to achieve this, and once she had the threat of losing it drove her to madness). In fact the film opens with so much lighthearted laughter that the switch to the darker themes of Kansas later in the film does jar a bit - that said, I think it is important that the director strove to show Capote's New York life as it is in such stark contrast to the sinister themes that would consume him later in the film.
Capote's childhood best friend was the novelist Harper Lee, who like Capote created genius in "To Kill A Mockingbird", but failed to reproduce any significant writing for the rest of her life. The film foreshadows this as at the time the book had just come out and she was still hopeful for her future career. That said, there is a knowingly poignant quality to Sandra Bullock's performance as Lee, especially in the monologue sections. Her characterization is very quiet and muted, but interesting and her bond with Capote is believable. She accompanies him to Kansas, where he is determined to continue his unique brand of journalism, seemingly viewing the whole thing as an opportunity for curious psychological analysis and personal glorification.
Their arrival in Kansas is hardly inconspicuous, with Capote dressed to the nines in fur coats and most locals assuming he is a woman when they hear his voice: (Truman: "I mean, really, even Ethel Merman didn't have these!" (points to droopy jowls). The film strives to keep it light, the oddball pair move into the local hotel and try to worm their way in with the locals dramatically unsuccessfully. Their telegrams from royalty contrast with their local surroundings, the duck out of water theme is carried through amusingly. Eventually they win over the local sheriff's (played by Jeff Daniels) friends and family at a dinner party, which leads to much local demand for Capote's tales of celebrity encounters.
Capote eventually uses his influence to get interviews with the two men accused of murdering a local family (it is alluded that he would have to know the President to gain that kind of access). He finds the two men to be in sharp contrast with one another - while one is boastful and unrepentant, the other, Perry Smith (played by Daniel Craig), is un-tempted by Capote's promises of money and unwilling to talk. Capote does some digging and finds out that Perry had artistic aspirations, and plays on these desires to win him over. Daniel Craig's Perry is an unpredictable, wounded animal sort of portrayal. You never quite know when he is going to snap, as he does attack Capote when he feels he has been betrayed. He has had a rough upbringing and you do sense the bond he and Capote share is a bit deeper than what is on the surface. I found their relationship sympathetic but also perplexing.
The mercurial nature of Capote makes him an unreliable creature and you never quite know when he is being sincere, although it does seem that despite his sometimes coldly callous analysis he does feel for Perry. This would have been fine but I felt the film strove a little to hard in its portrayal of the two men's relationship to make Capote seem more sympathetic. It gets the balance right when he is recounting the ghastly tales to his New York friends for dinner party entertainment, but then finds himself lost in contemplation/emotion as he does indeed feel a bond with Perry. It went a bit over the top towards the end with the romantic aspect I felt( without giving too much away), simply in that I was not entirely convinced of Capote's motives and would have preferred it left a bit more ambiguous. However I do not know what really happened and perhaps this is close to the truth.
The aspect of the murders was I felt not analysed very deeply and did make me curious to see Capote or read In Cold Blood. They are shown in fairly graphic flashbacks; we learn that the men were mistakenly led to believe there was a safe full of money in the house, that neither were particularly adept criminals, and the senselessness of the murders is felt acutely. The focus of the film, however, is more on Capote and his journey, the immense success of In Cold Blood is indicated to have been the peak/end of his artistic powers. The experience did change him, we are essentially told, and while Jones' s performance is excellent and genuinely moving at times, I felt the film didn't quite open enough doors into his psyche to truly understand what it all meant to him. There is power in the enigma, yes, and poignancy I suppose if that was all that was his legacy. We merely see snippets through other's impressions of him. Jones's portrayal does seem a genuine approximation of the man and has made me curious to read more of his work.
I really enjoyed most of this film, although I did feel it dragged slightly towards the end. I do think this film would have garnered more attention and suffered unfortunate timing due to Capote being released a year or so before it. It captures the era stylishly and contrasts the town and country differences in America to great effect. It has an excellent supporting cast that includes Sigourney Weaver, Juliet Stevenson and Isabella Rossellini. The general consensus in my house at this one was of pleasant surprise. It is full of Capote's bitingly good humour and wit despite its darker themes, and contains some fantastic performances, particularly from Toby Jones, Daniel Craig and Sandra Bullock. It was co-written and directed by Douglas McGrath, whose previous directorial credits include Emma and has a long writing history including Bullets Over Broadway for Woody Allen.
Advantages: Excellent performance from Toby Jones Disadvantages: Doesn't quite compare to the other Capote film
...is based on Gerald Clarke, Infamous by George Plimpton. Interested, I watched Infamous, wondering why the producers had decided to make a second film about Truman Capote so soon after the last. It is difficult not to compare the two films, which both have their merits, although there is only one winner as far as I am concerned. After having seen Seymour Hoffman's performance, which I thought spectacular, I didn't really expect Toby Jones to do anything ... ...Infamous, I do think that Infamous deserves to stand out on its own merits, because it is an excellent film. Unfortunately, for me, it didn't quite have the edge that Capote had. I can't understand why the decision was made to bring Infamous out so soon after Capote, unless it was in the hope that the interest garnered by Capote would mean there was more interest in Infamous. Infamous did bring some different aspects of the story out, which I found ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great cast Disadvantages: Unnecesary sex scene
...a great personal cost.
Infamous looks at how their relationship grows as Capote learns all he can for his book, entitled 'In Cold Blood'. The movie cuts back and forth between the story in hand, and 'interview' shots. Various characters from the movie sit individually in a studio and comment on Capote, in the same way as stars would talk about their movies with reporters. Its not made clear who the characters are talking to, sometimes they look ... ...same period of Truman's life, Infamous contains a lot of humour and comical aspects of his life for the first half of the movie. As the movie progresses, and Capote grows closer to the suspects, the humour steps aside to reveal a more serious and moving nature. While the ending is somewhat inevitable (its even mentioned several times in the movie that there can only be two possible outcomes for murders - life or death), you forget about that as the ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great acting, direction, story Disadvantages: We've heard it before
...a completely different approach.
Infamous is nowhere near as dark a film as Capote. Instead of opening with a scene depict the murders of the Clutters, Infamous opens with a dinner party reflecting Truman's socialite status. This is an aspect of Truman that the film draws heavily on often as a comedic device. Infamous depicts the life of Truman Capote as he investigates the events of the murder of a family in Holcomb, Kansas; the research that would ... ...film are in the opinion of this reviewer, too dramatised and exaggerated to be consider believable. This is of course a huge area to fail in when attempting to tell a true story. Other than this, Infamous is largely notable and I would recommend it even to the Capote fans. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Some great classic Blaine Disadvantages: Not his best work
...This is a DVD of Blaine's first TV special, Street Magic. This is pretty much the special that got him to where he is today.
There are alot of real classic street magic effects performed in true Blaine-esque fashion. Cards passing through windows, coins vanishing and his infamous levitation, it's all on the DVD. It's a must have DVD if you are a fan of his work or just enjoy watching magic of the new era. The tricks are high impact and you can tell from the audience reaction that they truely appreciate the magic, as you will as the viewer.
Makes for casual watching or as a great gift for a magic fan. Highly recommended!...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average not helpful
Advantages: Lots of magic, good balue for money as it has two of his specials Disadvantages: None i loved it
...I stumbled across this dvd when i was looking to buy a magic dvd to see good modern magic, i didnt intend to buy a Blaine dvd but i must say i wasnt dissapointed. This dvd is jam-packed with street magic, from gypsy thread routines to amasing card effects. It also includes Blaine doing the infamous levitation effect, where he levitates right off the street in front of peoples eyes.
The dvd mainly contains Blaines street magic rather than his now famous stunts, although it does include his first stunt, buried alive, in which he was buried in a glass coffin with no food only water.
I would highly recommend this dvd to any fan of Blaines as it contains his first two specials 'Magic Man' and 'Street Magic'. So it gives his fans a chance to see Blaine in action before all the fame and fortune.
This dvd contains...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Gives those not born and those that witnessed it the chance to see England in their greatest sporting triumph. Disadvantages: Price is a little hefty
...Being only 21 I had never seen Englands only World Cup win from 1966 - we are regularly shown the infamous final goal "they think it's all over...it is now!" but with this DVD we now have a chance to see the full match.
The dvd features the original black and white BBC coverage of the match, with Kenneth Wolstenholme commentating. It features disputed goals, clattering tackles, last-minute equalisers and dodgy officials - the question of whether the Russian linesman would have allowed the final winning goal if it had not been against West Germany has been a regular question over the years.
Extras include an alternative match commentary provided by five of the England team themselves - Jack Charlton, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, George Cohen and Gordon Banks which is often humourous and filled with recollections of their memory...
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Consumer Advice: Contains strong language and sex references
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: Following Bennett Miller’s Oscar-winning CAPOTE, Truman Capote provides the subject of yet another Hollywood biopic. INFAMOUS charts the author’s turbulent writing process and the traumatic events that inspired his most celebrated novel IN COLD BLOOD.
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date: 04/06/2007
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: DY 13738, RDY 13738
Barcode: 7321902137384, 7321901137385
Writer: George Plimpton
Director of Photography: Bruno Delbonnel
Composer: Rachel Portman
Languages
Main Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Commentary by Writer, Director Douglas McGrath, Theatrical trailer,, Commentary by Writer, Director Douglas McGrath, Theatrical trailer
Sound: Dolby Digital
DVD Description
Hollywood studios are notorious for liberally borrowing ideas from each other, with the resulting clutch of similarly-themed films often bewildering the public as they try to decide which movie to go and see. In 2005 Bennett Miller directed CAPOTE, an Oscar-winning dramatization of Truman Capote's traumatic experiences writing the celebrated novel IN COLD BLOOD. In 2006 Douglas McGrath (COMPANY MAN) directed INFAMOUS, a movie that follows exactly the same premise. Although it's difficult to see why such a story would need to be immortalized in celluloid for a second time, McGrath does throw in a few tricks to help separate the two films. Talking head interviews with some of Capote's contemporaries, such as Gore Vidal and Babe Paley, are used, and the movie has a lighter--almost comedic at times--feel to it than Miller's movie. The basic premise of INFAMOUS is exactly the same as that of CAPOTE, so we witness Toby Jones's Capote travelling from New York to Kansas, settling into the town, interviewing the murderers, and developing an obsession with one of them--Perry Smith (Daniel Craig). Despite the similarities, salvation can be found in the performance of Jones, who lights up the screen with a performance that closely rivals Philip Seymour Hoffman's turn as the infamous author. Other notable appearances come from Sandra Bullock, who just about manages to nail Harper Lee; Sigourney Weaver and Isabella Rossellini, who both camp up their roles as socialites; Jeff Daniels as the detective who befriends Capote; and Gwyneth Paltrow, who makes a brief appearance as the singer Peggy Lee.
Professional reviews
Review: A soulful and searching portrayal of the writer, carried with immense charm and vivacity by its leading man (Empire, 02/05/2007)
INFAMOUS is, in fact, prettier than CAPOTE, with every visual detail more voluptuous than in last year's sparer version. Jones himself is more voluptuous in his mannerisms than Hoffman, too... (Entertainment Weekly, 07/03/2007)
The film's most pleasing surprise is the beautifully nuanced portrait of Capote's confidante, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD author Harper Lee, by Sandra Bullock (Rolling Stone, 07/03/2007)
This is the funny side of Capote that we haven’t seen, and he is brilliantly portrayed by Toby Jones (The Sunday Times, 02/05/2007)
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