Capote

If you haven't heard of or seen Capote yet, you probably never will. After all, it was an Oscar winner. Then again, I wouldn't want to put Capote (or Goodnight, Munich, Brokeback, etc.) in the same category with a certain overrated flick starring half of L.A. Capote and said other films have way more style and substance than most films (not just mainstream) that have come out this year.

Like In Cold Blood, Capote begins and ends with death. We start with the brutal aftermath of the infamous crime and then move onto the processing, sentencing, and inevitable hanging of the two young men who slaughtered an entire family in their home in the middle of the night some fifty years ago.

Everything everyone has said about PSH's (aka: Philip Seymour Hoffman) performance is true. This is, hands down, one the most inspired impersonations of the 21st century. There lies the problem: a lot of folks think there's too much of impersonation and not enough improvisation. Whatever the case may be, I think it's a stellar performance that's worth the price of admission alone. If anyone knows PSH, they know about his raspy voice and occasionally scruffy looks (unless you count Ripley's Freddy Miles -- man, that guy was dapper). His turn as Truman Capote is the antithesis of his usual persona. To me, that is acting with a capitol "A". Best of all, he didn't have to lose fifty pounds or walk on his knees to feel like the writer.

Another great aspect of the Capote character is the filmmakers' reluctance to characterize him as definitively good or bad. Sure, he's obviously not a bad guy, but neither is he that likable. Most films either try to praise or demonize their historical characters. Capote never sacrifices its integrity for audience empathy. He was who he was. The film also makes terrific use of its ensemble cast (Catherine Keener, Chris Cooper, and Clifton Collins Jr. give exceptionally solid performances).

Director Bennett Miller shows an awful lot of talent here and this is his first major feature. He directed 1998's little-seen but well-liked The Cruise (not the less well-liked Speed 2: Cruise Control, which also came out that year). Sure, he's got a great story, cast, and crew, but he really brings things together and the sum is what makes the film a real success. If you have any doubts, check out either commentary and you'll find Miller to be well-informed, articulate, and funny.

The cinematography by Adam Kimmel (no relation to Jimmy) is clean and conservative. The film's look is not unlike something that the late Conrad L. Hall (legendary DP from In Cold Blood) would've shot. The film's symmetry and bland, nearly monochromatic color palette (they very rarely use blues or reds) give the film a cold, isolated, and morbid appearance that is completely appropriate to the subject matter.

The DVD itself isn't half bad either. Aside from a lot of dirt, the wide scope transfer looks sharp and the colors (or lack thereof) look terrific. I'm sure the dirt had to do with the original source and not the DVD (it was a low-budget film), but how hard would it have been to polish things up for home video. I guess the purist in me shouldn't complain. Audio in 5.1 is great, but the film's score is kinda problematic (it's a tad heavy-handed).

For extras, we get a couple of commentaries that could've been slightly better and three decent but short featurettes. The first featurette, "Answered Prayers," is around 6 minutes long and discusses the life and times of Truman Capote. The next two feaurettes are part of a 35-minute featurette on the making of the film. Part one takes us into the pre-production phase, while part two discusses the aesthetic choices that the crew made to give the film its distinctive look.

Sure, these featurettes could've been longer and more elaborate, but at least they're not filled with clips from the film. What we get is solid information that thankfully doesn't contain much filler. I'd rather have a 30-minute making-of than one that's over an hour, but contains highlights from over a third of the film. Do they know how annoying it is to watch dozens of highlights just after seeing the film?

The PSH and Miller commentary is what you would expect, a lot of ooh's/aaah's and "aren't they/we sooo talented" moments. Also, the track is a little on the tedious side. I doubt any causal viewer is gonna sit through this from beginning to end. My recommendation is to have it on in the background while you read this review. Fortunately, there were a few on-the-set anecdotes that made this somewhat worth my while. I also liked the contrast between the director discussing production and the actor talking about, well, acting.

Track #2 features Miller and Kimmel (screenwriter Dan Futterman couldn't make it because he was having a child at that moment...the slacker). This track is thankfully a lot more interesting and entertaining. The two guys really have a good dynamic together and I wouldn't be surprised if they work together in the future. This track is mostly about the film's visuals but, fortunately, nothing gets recycled from the previous commentary. This is a track that I would recommend for those who are most interested in the films technical approach. I'd say this is the most intimate look into the film on the DVD and by far the best extra.

Lastly, we get a ridiculous number of trailers for other Sony movies like The Patriot: Extended Cut (I'm sooo stoked). Of course it would be asking too much to have the trailer for the actual film we are buying, but I guess there's no money in that. Oh well, to hell with the fans.

Overall, I would give this DVD a pretty solid recommendation. The extras are short, but thankfully filler-free. I'm sure there will be another edition (with a unique special edition catchphrase and a useless cardboard slipcase with a pop-out font) on the market even before Capote HD, but I'm happy enough with this release...for now. Damn you, cardboard slipcases with pop-out fonts! -- Neil Karassik