Capote

Reading of the murder of a Kansas family, New York City novelist Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) decides to cover the story himself, and travels to the small town with his childhood friend, aspiring novelist Harper Lee (Catherine Keener). When Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.) and Dick Hickock (Mark Pellegrino) are arrested and charged, Capote forms an emotional bond with Smith during his jailhouse interviews despite the young criminal's apparent guilt.

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Capote

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What to Know

Philip Seymour Hoffman's riveting central performance guides a well-constructed retelling of the most sensational and significant period in author Truman Capote's life.

Critics Reviews

Tim Robey Sight & Sound As Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman is in complete control of his effects. No other actor has the ability to laugh at his own jokes and be so appallingly funny. Aug 1, 2018 Full Review Zadie Smith Daily Telegraph (UK) It's the acting that sings, especially when Hoffman duets with luminous Catherine Keener, the lady with the loveliest laugh in film. Hoffman's writer is a self-serving egoist; Keener's a restrained, wise soul. Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Victoria Segal New Statesman Unfortunately, by the end of it, Capote isn't the only one who wants to turn to drink. Sep 26, 2017 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Hoffman goes beyond mimic to inhabit the contradictory soul under the fey, mannered skin of the social creature who is most at home holding court in New York cocktail parties. Dec 17, 2022 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site Capote fails to treat the most pressing issues-above all, what is it about American life that produces this "senseless" homicidal violence? Feb 15, 2021 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com As Perry Smith, Clifton Collins, Jr. is particularly strong in revealing a killer whose path may have been chosen for him. Rated: 4.0/4.0 Sep 4, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

Robert L I'm not sure how accurate this is in absolute context, but it's a scathing indictment of human nature. A nice study in psychology. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/02/24 Full Review helder f It’s a nice movie, and regardless of how close it is to reality is an interesting story. A dynamic between a famous writer and poor convict is depicted in a way that’s probably more beautiful than one would immediately notice. Both these two people are grandiose in their sphere; both fragile in their own ways. But Capote is by far the most powerful of the two - which grants him the capacity of mercy but also abuse. When it comes to the reality, and how much of the movie depicts the reality well… it’s hard to tell. Capote the character is depicted in a way that appears rather crystallized and he doesn’t appear to evolve or at least to flow. He appears contrived. As for the facts, it surely depicts capote in a not so positive light. Selfish, manipulative and narcissistic. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Nathan W Imagine my embarrassment when I go to write a review about Capote, and find myself somewhat at a loss for words. I'm honestly a little torn, because this movie has two very different halves that make up the whole. On the one hand, Philip Seymour Hoffman absolutely crushed it as Truman Capote. Hands down, one of the best, if not THE best character portrayal that I've ever seen! All of the mannerisms, the way he carried himself, and especially the voice, all matched perfectly. I know because I looked up footage of the real Capote as soon as I finished watching it. And just from what I gathered from the film, he seemed like a really interesting and unique person, but we'll get into that later. The point is, that's the half of this movie that is holding things together. Because it's a character piece first and foremost, and everything else comes second. Not that anything was bad, it just wasn't done as well as Capote himself. I mean, the story was interesting enough, but the plot jumped around a little too much. We covered several years worth of material in the span of two hours, because we never stayed in one place/time for very long. Every scene was still great, but I wish things had been laid out in a more coherent manner. There was an awful lot of talent in this movie, but aside from one other person, the main character was the only one we really got to know. I thought most of the interactions were genuine and believable, but there were more than I would have liked that felt off. It wasn't the most elaborate period piece that ever existed. It was good enough, but they pretty much let the cars and clothes do the heavy lifting on that one. I will say that the cinematography was pretty well done. It seemed like every single shot was set up with the utmost care. But what I'm getting at is that the rest of it was far from perfect. Outside of Hoffman's performance, there isn't a whole lot special happening here. It wouldn't have been strong enough, or interesting enough, to stand on its own. But thankfully for all of us, it didn't have to. Once I got past the voice, which took some getting used to, I was completely enamored with Hoffman's character. I was constantly entertained by trying to figure out what his true intentions were. Does he actually care about these people, or is he just protecting his own interests? Is he obsessed with his work or is he obsessed with himself? Does he even know which one it is? Some of the answers were made clear, and others were left up to the audience to decide. You know, I would rarely rate such a one-sided character piece so highly, but that just how good Hoffman's performance truly was. I love everything I've seen him in, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that he will always be dearly missed. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/18/24 Full Review Aender S Excellent performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/18/24 Full Review Jeremy L This film is an absolute masterpiece. I first read Capote's work in the late 1990's and he's one of my favorite authors. I was expecting a tacky caricature exploiting him, but found Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance to be incredibly fabulous. Catherine Keener's Harper Lee was accurate and respectful. This is a film that I've watched with or recommended to other writers as well as those who have never heard of nor read the work of Truman Streckfus Persons. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/16/23 Full Review John B Brilliant. Stellar performances. Philip Seymour Hoffman was absolutely incredible out of a fabulous cast. Highly recommended. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews