Infamous (2006)

Our Rating: 2 out of 5

Rated: R

Reviewer: Charity Bishop

Movies with similar themes tend to come out around the same time. Infamous is the second of two movies about Truman Capote and his book In Cold Blood. This one received recognition than the earlier Capote, but actually contains a better performance and more interesting approach.

Everyone loves Truman Capote (Toby Jones): a pint-sized fellow with an enormous personality, he holds society and its most influential socialites in the palm of his hand. Everyone loves to confide in him over a glass of wine and breadsticks at the local eatery, and his parties are the toast of the year. A wealthy and esteemed novelist and writer who hobnobs with childhood best friend and fellow novelist Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock), Truman is always in search of the next great idea to spur forward his immense imagination. That's when a byline in a newspaper catches his attention, outlining the vicious and brutal murders of a Kansas family. No one knows who was responsible but Truman thinks this would make a fine book, a biographical work written in the style of a novel. So he packs up Harper and travels halfway across the US to a place where he is not known, his overly flamboyant personality is not approved of, and no one is willing to talk to him about the crime -- least of all the cop () in charge of the investigation. But determination and some name-dropping get him "in" and all is going well... until the criminals are caught!

Suddenly his book changes tone and his purpose trends more toward convincing the two men to confide in him: Dick (Lee Pace) is eager for publicity and infamy but his friend Perry (Daniel Craig) is more buttoned up. He fancies himself a man of fine tastes and as Truman sets about to con him into sharing his life story, he may get in deeper than he intended to. The result is a story that is both interesting and a little off-kilter; it takes a much nicer approach to Truman than the other film does, in inferring that in spite of his outrageous statements, he comes to actually care about Perry and his inevitable outcome. But a lot of the facts here are merged with fanciful ideas and romanticism, in an effort to build a relationship between two men that goes a little further than common interest. Overall, it is very well done and rather like Truman dropping names, the script drops faces -- with Gwyneth Paltrow, Sigourney Weaver, and other Hollywood stars appearing here and there for a moment or two. Playing Lee Harper is a different turn for Bullock but she gives a fine if understated performance. The real scene stealer here though is Toby Jones -- normally he is shuffled to the back on the big screen but here reveals what a truly great actor he actually is. It is very atmospheric and draws you in to caring about these characters -- or at least, some of them!

The problem here is some rough content -- Jesus' name gets a handful of uses in a profane context, but there is about a dozen f-words and other profanities. Drinking is prevalent. The crime is shown in flashbacks that are not particularly grotesque but are chilling in the cold-blooded way they are carried out (two men are shot point blank in the face, with the camera at a distance; screaming and gunshots witness the women murdered off camera). A man intends to rape a young woman and is told not to by his partner; some dialogue revolves around his intentions. We see a man hanged; his body twitches and it takes him a long time to die. After enraging a prisoner, Truman is manhandled up against a wall and the man unzips his pants, threatening to rape him (he doesn't -- he just wanted to scare him). Mention is made of Truman's homosexual open partnership with another man (who cheats on him frequently); two men kiss one another. We see a flashback of a man and woman naked, entangled in one another's arms, having sex; references are made to hiring prostitutes.

Comparisons between the two leading actors in films about the same topic are inevitable, but I found Jones more convincing if only because of the enthusiasm and passion he puts into the role, and for his smaller size. It makes Truman much more vulnerable as well as reveals to the audience his obvious attempts to compensate through telling dramatic stories. It's not a pleasant story, though, and unless you are intrigued by the history of the piece (which isn't very accurate in some respects) I would recommend finding something more cheerful.