Infamous (2006)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Douglas McGrath

Writers (WGA):

Douglas McGrath (screenplay)
George Plimpton (book)

Release Date:

16 November 2006 (Israel)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

There's more to the story than you know

Plot:

While researching his book In Cold Blood, writer Truman Capote develops a close relationship with convicted murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith.

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Truman Capote | Book | Writer | Kansas

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Sigourney Weaver	...	Babe Paley
Toby Jones	...	Truman Capote
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Kitty Dean
Sandra Bullock	...	Nelle Harper Lee
Isabella Rossellini	...	Marella Agnelli
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Bennett Cerf
Rey Arteaga	...	El Morocco Band
Jeff Daniels	...	Alvin Dewey
Daniel Craig	...	Perry Smith
Justin Sherburn	...	El Morocco Band
Andrew Halbreich	...	El Morocco Band
Juliet Stevenson	...	Diana Vreeland
Michael Panes	...	Gore Vidal
Hope Davis	...	Slim Keith
Frank G. Curcio	...	William Shawn (as Frank Curcio)

Also Known As:

Every Word Is True (USA) (working title)
Have You Heard? (USA) (working title)
Untitled Douglas McGrath Movie (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and some sexuality.

Runtime:

110 min | Canada:118 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Croatia:118 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Malaysia:(Banned) | Ireland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #42330) | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Jack and Henry Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Samantha Morton was originally cast as Harper Lee

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Vacuum-formed yellow "Dollar General" sign visible as Perry and Dicky are being brought in by the police. The Dollar General name was not used until 1968.

Quotes:

D.A.'s Secretary: I'm sorry. The D.A. doesn't take calls from strange women.
Truman Capote: Who says I'm strange?

Movie Connections:

References A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Soundtrack:

Stealin' the Bean

A Third Powerful Look at the Murder of the Clutter Family

Truman Capote may be unique among recent celebrities to have two excellent films made about his life. Just a year after Phillip Seymour Hoffman's mesmerizing performance in "Capote," Toby Jones does a fine, if more expected, impersonation of the author of "In Cold Blood" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's." With the razor sharp wit and effete mannerisms more focused than they were in "Capote," Jones, in Douglas McGrath's "Infamous," is a more vulnerable Truman and is unquestionably in love with one of the Clutter family killers, Perry Smith. Although ostensibly a drama, "Infamous" is replete with Capote's celebrated wit, and the one-liners, which are often sexual in nature, are welcome relief from the heavier scenes.

However, "Infamous" is at heart a love story, or rather two, love stories. The first romance is between Truman Capote and his coterie of largely female socialite friends, with whom he gossips and parties and self adulates. The second, much deeper love story, between Capote and Smith, begins as Capote explores Smith's background and family history. Although their relationship, which the film implies was more than platonic, develops within the confines of prison, the two men connect through similar personal tragedies in their childhoods. Smith, well played by Daniel Craig, was at least bisexual or even gay, according to McGrath's screenplay. Although a subliminal connection between the two killers was suggested in both the films "In Cold Blood" and "Capote," in this film Dick Hickock, Smith's partner in the Clutter killings, recognizes Perry's orientation and taunts him with it.

Although a bevy of well-known performers threatens to undercut the realism of the drama with a game of "isn't that so and so?," the acting rises above star cameos and blends seamlessly into the whole. In fact, the familiar faces aid in maintaining recognition of the parade of celebrities, such as Babs Paley, Gore Vidal, and Harper Lee that surrounded Capote in life. Borrowing a technique from Warren Beatty's "Reds," McGrath effectively uses witnesses that talk to the camera about Truman as though being interviewed at some later date. Surprisingly, these interview segments do not interrupt the flow of the drama and enhance rather than detract from the film's power.

And powerful it is. Although the execution scenes have been filmed twice before, Truman's parting from the killers and the actual hangings remain almost unbearable to watch. Although two films have preceded this one and related essentially the same story, "Infamous" stands as a worthy addition to what is now a trilogy on the Clutter family murders (1967's "In Cold Blood," 2005's "Capote," 2006's "Infamous"). Surprisingly, each film is equally engrossing and brings its own viewpoint to the story. Like different facets of a prism or a three-film version of "Rashomon," the tale of Truman Capote's reportage of the murders retains its fascination and the enigma of Capote's relationship with the killers. Rarely have three such powerful, outstanding films been made from the same subject matter.