Infamous (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Carlos M

  
  Toby Jones is truly great here, though shadowed by Philip Seymour Hoffman's fantastic performance in the far superior Capote - with which the comparisons are inevitable. However, this film suffers from many terrible documentary-like statements explaining what we can easily see.

• Randy T

  
  Having seen <i>In Cold Blood</i> (1967) and <i>Capote</i> (2005) I thought I knew what to expect from yet another film treatment of Truman's novel. <i>Infamous</i>, however, was a pleasant surprise. This one brought to light a little more of… More
  Having seen <i>In Cold Blood</i> (1967) and <i>Capote</i> (2005) I thought I knew what to expect from yet another film treatment of Truman's novel. <i>Infamous</i>, however, was a pleasant surprise. This one brought to light a little more of Capote's terrific sense of humor and a slightly different perspective on his emotional entanglement with convicted murderer Perry Smith. If <i>Infamous</i> is overlooked and underrated it has only Philip Seymour Hoffman to blame. Very bad timing for a pretty good film.

• Arash X

  
  Far more interesting & better portrayal than the overrated Capote and imo nearly as great as In Cold Blood

• Chris G

  
  Infamous is the account of Truman Capote's research in writing the book In Cold Blood. I said Infamous, not Capote and it's Toby Jones not Philip Seymour Hoffman playing the larger than life writer. It's amazing to watch to different takes on the same story. Whereas… More
  Infamous is the account of Truman Capote's research in writing the book In Cold Blood. I said Infamous, not Capote and it's Toby Jones not Philip Seymour Hoffman playing the larger than life writer. It's amazing to watch to different takes on the same story. Whereas Capote was more of a darker film Infamous is more lighthearted as the relationship between Capote and Perry Smith (Daniel Craig-yes, James Bond). Infamous has some very good acting in it with Jones pulling off a Capote that is as equal as Hoffman's. The real surprise was Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee. In this film Bullock has gotten away from the pseudo action pictures and chick flick crap she usually frequents. A real stand out performance. The main problem with Infamous is how the story unfolds. As the tale continues to unwind before you the audiences is suddenly hit with a Larry Kingish testimonial on what happened and what it meant totally destroying the flow of the film. Compare it to pulling the emergency brake on a train that doesn't stop at Tucom Cari causing the once peaceful and moving train to come to a violent halt. A total distraction. At the end of the Capote vs. Capote match I have to go with Capote. Infamous is a decent film with some good performances (Bullock's being the best) it has the feel of a made for TV film, which isn't a good thing.

• Pierluigi P

  
  Just as good as its more acclaimed and popular counterpart, though a lot less somber and emotional. Toby Jones looks more like the author, his performance is correct, but it pales before Philip Seymour Hoffman's. Daniel Craig's rendition of Perry Smith is outstanding.

• Stefanie C

  
  As much as I liked Philip Seymour Hoffman in and as Capote, I think that Toby Jones portrayal was spectacular. His depiction shows the gossipy, humorous, and human side of Capote. A very well done movie.

• Gordon A

  
  Jones gives a convincing turn as Capote but the starry supporting cast distract from the story. Craig in particular is a mistake.

• Christopher M

  
  This is a film that is going to be consistently overlooked because it deals with basically the exact same subject matter as the highly acclaimed Capote - they were being made around the same time but the makers of Capote were just lucky enough to get their film out first. Although… More
  This is a film that is going to be consistently overlooked because it deals with basically the exact same subject matter as the highly acclaimed Capote - they were being made around the same time but the makers of Capote were just lucky enough to get their film out first. Although both films share essentially the same story (although with significant variations): writer Truman Capote's writing of the novel In Cold Blood based on the brutal murders of a Kansas family - the films do diverge a good deal because they are based on different books about Capote's journey. While Capote was marked by somberness and dramatic weight, Infamous gives us a much more lighthearted, brightly coloured take on the story; though Infamous does get down to serious business when it needs to, and does it very well. Toby Jones plays Capote (an actor who I've gotten very interested in after seeing him in The Mist and now this) and does a marvelous job. Comparing his performance to Philip Seymour Hoffman's powerful turn in Capote would be foolish - because Jones takes a different route in portraying Capote and I think it`s just as brilliant a performance, just different; Jones has extremely moving dramatic moments here, too, and it really doesn't hurt that Jones naturally looks a lot more like Capote than Hoffman (the resemblance is actually very striking if you look at pictures of a younger Truman Capote). Just as in comparing the performances of the lead actors, comparing the two films would be folly because they are adaptations of different books and because they differ so much in style and tone - it's much better to appreciate both interpretations for what they are, as both are very good films. I think what surprised me most, though, is that Infamous joins the very short list of films in which Sandra Bullock does not annoy the hell out of me; she is actually very good here, playing Nelle Harper Lee with a straight-edged sincerity that is highly appropriate. Daniel Craig seems to channel Robert Blake's amazing portrayal of Perry Smith in the 1967 adaptation of In Cold Blood and does a great job. The rest of the cast is good also but doesn't stand out as much as these three. In the end, Infamous is a very worthy take on this story that shouldn't be overlooked as much as it has.

• Michael G

  
  Picture a bipolar Woody Allen directing Capote and this is exactly what you'd end up with. Well done with a mostly great cast (even with Sandra Bullock present and a generally pointless appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow,) but Daniel Craig stole the show. Not quite as good as Capote,… More
  Picture a bipolar Woody Allen directing Capote and this is exactly what you'd end up with. Well done with a mostly great cast (even with Sandra Bullock present and a generally pointless appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow,) but Daniel Craig stole the show. Not quite as good as Capote, but definitely more light-hearted--if such a thing is possible. If you've had your fill with Capote (because let's face it, there is no way in hell to talk about either Capote or Infamous without mentioning the other,) Infamous probably won't do a damn thing for you, but it's definitely worth checking out.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  This biopic/drama, directed by Douglas McGrath is based on the book "Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career" by George Plimpton, and it covers the same timeline and subjects as Bennett Miller's CAPOTE (with… More
  This biopic/drama, directed by Douglas McGrath is based on the book "Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career" by George Plimpton, and it covers the same timeline and subjects as Bennett Miller's CAPOTE (with Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman). It stars relatively unknown british actor Toby Jones, romantic comedy queen Sandra Bullock (in a great performance as Harper Lee, Truman's childhood friend) and the new James Bond, Daniel Craig (here as the murderer Perry, in a brilliant performance, very different to his usual action roles, he was nominated this year for an Independent Spirit Award for best supporting actor; anyway, his was the best performance in the movie, very raw and real and believable. Jeff Daniels and Sigourney Weaver also star. This indie with A-List actors is great!

• jay n

  
  capote is better but this is an interesting take on the subject

• Rico Z

  
  You would think there would be nothing left to say about Truman Capote after last year's film starring Philip Seymour Hoffman-- but there is. Although Infamous delves into the same slice of Capote's life as the earlier film did, this version is much lighter and easier on the… More
  You would think there would be nothing left to say about Truman Capote after last year's film starring Philip Seymour Hoffman-- but there is. Although Infamous delves into the same slice of Capote's life as the earlier film did, this version is much lighter and easier on the heart strings than Capote was. This is partly due to the fact that the script approaches the story from a much more lighthearted point of view; focusing on Truman's social humming bird skills and on his frivolous (if not dim-witted) elitist friends. Also, Toby Jones plays Truman Capote much more sensibly and with a sprite that was lacking in Hoffman's portrayal of the tortured author. Sandra Bullock takes over Harper Lee's character and brings a renewed effervescence to its core and nature. One of the murderers is portrayed; more effectively, by the brooding Daniel Craig (who makes a much better criminal than he does Bond-like hero.) All in all, the movie is a rehash but brings out some interesting points and sheds new light and perspectives on them. It plunges further into Capote's tribulation with wanting to mix fact with reality in order to create a story that, ultimately, he found more appealing and worthy of his audience's attention. Watch the movie if you want, but don't compare it to anything else out there that may resemble it.

• Bill C

  
  Infamous is a more natural portrayal of Truman Capote than "Capote-2005" Along with Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow make a brief appearance. Sandra Bollock plays Nelle Harper Lee to a tee. I really enjoyed her understated homey charm. Yes Daniel Craig plays the murder and… More
  Infamous is a more natural portrayal of Truman Capote than "Capote-2005" Along with Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow make a brief appearance. Sandra Bollock plays Nelle Harper Lee to a tee. I really enjoyed her understated homey charm. Yes Daniel Craig plays the murder and love interest to Capote. The movie plays with the level of artistic license in Capote's work and I'm sure Plimpton really took some artistic license with the screenplay. Mcgrath really does capture the sense of Capote's giving his life for his art.

• Ivan D

  
  Although "Capote" has a more artistic tone, I would say "Infamous" was more fast-paced and entertaining. Capote, throughout the film, has maintained a grim color tone of almost black and white, a color of emotional despair. But "Infamous", on the other… More
  Although "Capote" has a more artistic tone, I would say "Infamous" was more fast-paced and entertaining. Capote, throughout the film, has maintained a grim color tone of almost black and white, a color of emotional despair. But "Infamous", on the other hand, does not have any color preferences, but it still contains the melancholic punch of Truman Capote's character. Now, if I will compare the two, I presently prefer "Infamous", but with a "Capote" rewatch on my calendar of activities, who knows if it might change my mind...

• Sunil J

  
  Capote was better by far

• Sam C

  
  Maybe it's because I still haven't seen Capote yet (can't compare them) but I thought this was a very good movie. About halfway through the movie it becomes very very strong. Toby Jones, Lee Pace and Sandra Bullock give really strong performances. But I have to say that… More
  Maybe it's because I still haven't seen Capote yet (can't compare them) but I thought this was a very good movie. About halfway through the movie it becomes very very strong. Toby Jones, Lee Pace and Sandra Bullock give really strong performances. But I have to say that Daniel Craig was outstanding! I wasn't that impressed by him in Casino Royale, but now I see what all the hoopla is about. He was scary as hell in this. I'll see how I feel after I've seen Capote...

• David S

  
  A moving love story that came out a little too late after 'Capote' to be properly noticed, despite having an amazing cast. Haven't seen 'Capote' so can't say which is better and how similar they are but really liked this film and was gripped. All the… More
  A moving love story that came out a little too late after 'Capote' to be properly noticed, despite having an amazing cast. Haven't seen 'Capote' so can't say which is better and how similar they are but really liked this film and was gripped. All the performances are excellent (Sandra Bullock in particular surprises) but it is Jones and Craig that make the whole film really worthwhile. People said Craig was miscast but this was the sort of performance he used to do before he was pulled into the mainstream and he is is heartbreaking. Toby Jones will be a newcomer to American audiences but is a revelation as Capote and this (along with his role in 'W') should make him a star. This film is a real pleasant surprise.

• Richard F

  
  No credit for undertaking a project that has already been done much better. Why make another movie about Capote, unless you feel you can improve on the first one, which would be quite a feat. This one does not even come close, so this is a wasted effort.

• FanGirl B

  
  I haven't seen the other Capote film yet, but this one is great. You should see it for Daniel Craig's performance if nothing else, the man is an acting power house.

Read all 19 featured audience ratings