INFAMOUS
US, 2006, 118 minutes, Colour.
Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver, Isabella Rossellini, Hope Davis, Juliet Stevenson,Jeff Daniels, John Benjamin Hickey, Peter Bogdanovich,
Directed by Douglas Mc Grath
Infamous has been billed as ‘the other Capote’ film. It is one of those strange occurrences in the film world that two films on the same character or subject are made at the same time. Capote was very well received a year ago and led to Philip Seymour Hoffman receiving numerous awards and the Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote. Film buffs who enjoy comparing versions will be very pleased to see this interpretation – in fact, it can be recommended as a further insight into Capote, perhaps more focused and deeper than the former film.
Douglas Mc Grath (Emma, Nicholas Nickleby) has written a literate screenplay and directed. It does go over the previous ground, focusing on the same years. However, it gives a great deal of attention to Capote’s New York social life, the gallery of socialites that he dined with, gossiped with and received so much affirmation from. The relationship and work with Harper Lee is also examined as is his collaboration with the family of the investigator, Alvin Dewey, into the Clutter killings. We see the origins of In Cold Blood and share the process of writing.
More extensively than in Capote we see the developing relationship, with its moody ups and downs, between Truman and Perry Smith. Infamous does it better and with more insight than Capote.
Infamous is blessed with a powerful, an extraordinary performance by British Toby Jones as Capote. He is the correct height and build and impersonates the mannerisms to great effect. It is also an award-meriting performance. One of the great and pleasant surprises is the presence and performance of Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee. She contrasts in appearance and manner from the socialites and is understanding and patient with Capote. Sandra Bullock has done so many comedies and light romances that audiences will be surprised at the maturity she brings to this role.
The other big surprise is the casting of Daniel Craig as Perry Smith. The US release of the film coincides with his first appearance as James Bond in Casino Royale. This performance is quite the opposite. He brings an edge to the character of Perry, wary of Capote’s motives yet able to be influenced by his charm and sweet-talking about literature and language. His moods vary and he exhibits at some moments a viciousness towards his mentor. He reveals himself, so much so that it almost means that he is the true love in Capote’s life. This makes the execution scene and Capote’s behaviour more harrowing.
There is a gallery of stars to play Capote’s circle including Sigourney Weaver, Hope Davis, a highly eccentric Juliet Stevenson and Isabella Rossellini. The cast also includes Jeff Daniels as Alvin Dewey, Peter Bogdanovich as publisher Bennett Cerf and John Benjamin Hickey as Capote’s lover, Jack Dunphy.
The film opens with Capote at a night club listening to a lounge singer performing Cole Porter’s What is this thing called love. Critics talk about show-stoppers. Gwyneth Paltrow’s rendition is strong, then seems to falter until we realise what she is doing … and the song goes on powerfully and offers a symbolic tone to the film. She appears only during the credits but it is a memorable cameo. (She played Emma in Douglas McGrath’s? film of 1996).
This is an excellently crafted film, well acted and offering a great deal of thoughtful entertainment.
1. Impact? A portrait of Truman Capote? Biography? Re-creation of a period? His New York circle? Life in Kansas? The re-creation of In Cold Blood?
2. The impact of the other versions of Capote and of In Cold Blood? The contribution of this film? Different insights?
3. New York in the 1950s and 1960s, the opening, Cole Porter’s song, “What Is This Thing Called Love”? The singer, her pause, people’s feelings, her starting again, the rhythm? Babe and Truman watching? The range of drinks? Tears, applause? Indication of the theme, the search for love, emotional response, yet a performance? Manipulative?
4. The range of witnesses and their style, their monologues, showing their characters, their eccentricities? Gossip, the cult of celebrity? Babe Paley, wife of the CBS head, her status, her sad telling about her husband’s affair? Slim Keith and her divorce? Diana Vreeland and her manner, eccentricity, ironing her money etc? Bennett Cerf and publications? Gore Vidal and his perspective? John and his relationship with Capote? Seeing the characters in action, their comments, their comments on him? Audience response to the credibility of each character?
5. Harper Lee, different, from the south, her long monologue about Truman Capote’s childhood, the Christmas pageant, his disappointment in his parents not coming, his cartwheels? His character, his friends? Her own appearance, style? The success of To Kill a Mockingbird? Being the Jane Austen of the south? Her Pulitzer Prize?
6. The world of gossip, gossip throughout, Truman’s performance, revealing the secrets about Dick and Perry to his friends, performing? Harper Lee and her not being a gossip, in the end his relying on her?
7. Toby Jones as Truman Capote, his height, look, voice, mannerisms, reference to his appearance and reputation as a wind-up doll, his affectations? His love of parties, gossip, success, his own opinion about himself, his books and promotion of them, his circle and talk, confidences and repeating them? On each return from Kansas?
8. His relationship with John, John the introvert, the sexual partner, John’s reflection about sex and love, their walking together, John trying to write his book? At the gathering, learning the twist, the drinking, the dinner and the talk, John being rude to Bill Paley? His refusal to go to Kansas for the executions?
9. Capote reading the article about Kansas, sharing it with the different people, with Bennett Cerf, his going to Harper Lee, their travel, the luggage on the station, the isolation, his manner, people mistaking him for a woman on the phone, at the press conference, the snide comments when he asked Dewey questions? The discussions with Dewey, his refusal of access, his accosting people and asking them for information? Harper Lee’s advice, his vanity, the telegrams from Noel Coward and Princess Margaret…? Contacting the lawyer, the silent tour of the house and the audience seeing the place for In Cold Blood?
10. Christmas, alone in the hotel, his going to buy the cheese, his snobbery, the encounter with Mrs Dewey, her invitation, going for drinks, the gifts, his talking, the scepticism of the visitors, especially Dewey? The reference to Humphrey Bogart and Beat the Devil, his stories about celebrity? Beating Bogart at arm-wrestling? The son coming further and further into the room? Everybody listening and excited? Arm-wrestling with Dewey’s son and letting him win? Dewey’s taunts, beating Dewey? Dewey getting Capote’s books? The invitations to the friends, the visits, the chatter, gaining the information?
11. His aim in writing In Cold Blood, a different kind of reportage, bringing the techniques of fiction, psychological understanding? Harper Lee’s disagreement? Dewey reading Capote’s books, not helping him? Cerf and his help?
12. News of the arrest, going to watch, the impact of Perry? His visit to the prison, getting the president’s approval? Dick and his talk, his bluntness, the details of what happened? The difference with Perry, Capote’s attraction, looking at him, Dick giving him the hint about art, using ploys to get him to open up, the books, the discussions about Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando? Getting his trust, Perry and his wariness, yet his illiterate messages?
13. Perry in himself, the importance of the flashbacks, visualising his parents and their lives, rodeo riders, his mother taking them away, the encounter with his father at school, his father saying he could not take him, setting up the café, doing the artwork and the painting, nobody coming, his father blaming him? Truman’s respect and Perry’s valuing it? Calling him Friend Truman? Their talks, the moods, Capote listening? Perry listening after being upset about the talk about his mother’s suicide? His anger at the title of the book, his interpretation, feeling violated, wanting to violate Capote and making him afraid? His reading some text? The bond between them, the kiss, the years passing, five years of letter-writing, the final request, Capote urging him to apologise? His will and leaving everything to Capote, the drawings?
14. Capote and telling Perry the life story of his mother, her marriage, her ambitions, her vanity, her suicide? His love for his mother, yet her abandoning him? The growing relationship with Perry, Perry talking and listening? His shock at what he was told, the In Cold Blood aspects of the story, yet salaciously repeating them to his friends? Callous aspects? His wanting them to die, to finish the book?
15. Not wanting to go to Kansas, Harper Lee and John refusing, Bennett Cerf going with him, the day of the execution, Dick’s blunt farewell, his begging Perry to repent?
16. The scenes of the execution, the brutality of hanging, Dick’s hanging, thirty minutes to die, Dewey looking at his watch? Perry arriving, chewing the gum, his being hanged? Capote having to go out?
17. The end, Capote and his drink, Cerf saying that three people died that day, his comment about Capote’s subsequent life, the final comments from each of the circle?
18. His phoning Harper Lee, wanting to go out with her – having a good day, Prayers Answered?
19. The film leaving the re-creation of the crimes till the end, the detailed visualising of what happened, with each of the Clatter family, Perry’s tenderness with the boy, the taunts by Dick, Dick wanting to rape the girl? The brutality of Perry shooting? Demanding that Dick kill the women? His saying that he didn’t want to kill them? Capote’s theory that they were not each capable of doing the crimes but together, they were one person?
