Recent Reviews for Infamous

  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 13, 2008
    Jones gives a convincing turn as Capote but the starry supporting cast distract from the story. Craig in particular is a mistake.
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 11, 2008
    The story of Truman Capote, the writer of In Cold Blood, a very gay man living decades ago, and a famous celebrity. In this version, it?s so close to the same story as the one from the year before, it?s not nearly as good. It seems like a pale imitation.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    May 12, 2008
    This was almost a whole different view of the turning point of the life of writer Truman Capote. Compared to the film with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, this version starring Toby Jones as Capote was a far more detailed account of his journey to Kansas to cover the murder of a farmer and his family. With his best friend and fellow writer, Nelle Harper Lee (played very well by Sandra Bullock), they discover the feelings of the people of the small town. This happens in a slower and probably a more realistic pace than in the other recent film. We are given more details about Truman's friends home, his family background and what people thought about him. Also, the details about the killers is far more specific and drawn out than in the other film. I don't know which of these two films is more accurate. I enjoyed both. This one gave a whole different spin to the relationship of Perry, the convict played by Daniel Craig. It seems they had a more intimate connection. I liked how this film made it seem like more of a challenge for Capote to get his story created and revealed how it went from an article to a novel. Very well done.
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    April 13, 2008
    i thought it more interesting than the movie Capote. That voice though, how did anyone stand it LOL!
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    March 27, 2008
    A lot of A-list actors in non typical roles for them. The main actor is annoying at first but he grows on you. A very interesting biographical film.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    February 25, 2008
    This is way, way, way better than Capote. Toby Jones portrayal of the writer feels much more honest and human. His relationship with Perry Smith (Daniel Craig, almost unrecognizable with dark hair and an American accent) is explored deeper, and this version plays with the idea that they may have been lovers. While Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Capote was ultimately a cold, calculating, and asexual being, Jones makes him a likable, loving, and tragic character. The supporting cast is fantastic, especially Bullock and Craig.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    February 17, 2008
    Hurrah for Daniel Craig kissing an ugly she-man. But honestly I like this In Cold Blood bio rather than the Seymour-Hoffman Capote....
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    February 12, 2008
    it took a little bit of getting used to at the start, but got better....very poignant and interesting
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    February 12, 2008
    Tells the tale of writer Truman Capote whose research into a gruesome murder case leads him to form an inconveniently intense relationship with one of the imprisoned murderers. It's a decent film with a decent cast, including Sigourney Weaver and Toby Jones. Sandra Bullock needs to be ignored because she is crap, and I can't help but feel that Daniel Craig is concentrating too hard on his accent (which he actually does quite well) to give a good enough performance to do his character justice. He portrays Perry unconvincingly and unsympathetically which really defeats the point of the story. The script is very up and down, but there are some pieces of excellent dialogue which will hold your attention. I hate to be so predictable and compare it to Capote, but I'm gonna. Capote is better is every way. That one'll die inside me...
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    February 11, 2008
    A completely amazing cast, and a pretty bloody good drama. Toby Jones is amazing as Capote, and the rest of the acting was great form. There was just too many interview sections throughout. If those hadn't been there then perfect...
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    January 22, 2008
    Such a great film about Capote's world, with all those real colorful characters that existed. Craig's character is so well done, Jones' even better. I cannot say enough good things about this movie.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    January 6, 2008
    Released almost exactly one year after the initial showings of Bennett Miller's Capote, which earned Phillip Seymour Hoffman an Oscar for his role as Truman Capote, the film Infamous covers much of the same ground yet also depicts Capote in New York before he began work on his most popular book In Cold Blood. Infamous is more like a collection of testimonials about Capote from his best friends, which makes this movie interesting to watch. All the actors and cast are totally great. Sandra Bullock did a good potrayal as Harper Lee, Capote's best friend. If you have watched Capote and losing a reason to watch Infamous, then make Daniel Craig as the reason to watch this one. Craig performance as Perry Smith is absolutely unusual Breathtaking! As I haven't watch Capote yet, surely I can't compare and decide which one is better. But I'm so sure that even if you already have watched Capote, you will find it hard to consider Infamous as a "not a better" version of a retteling of a chapter in Truman Capote's life.
  • 1.0 Star
    MCT:
    January 4, 2008
    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.
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    December 27, 2007
    Of course I wanted to see this because I was so curious -- WHY make another Capote, especially one that would most surely pale in comparison?

    It did pale... When compared to Hoffman's Capote, Toby Jones has the charisma (and appearance) of a troll. And I think the whole film focused on the wrong thing... Well, maybe not wrong, but it certainly wasn;t very interesting.

    Sandra Bullock deserves respect for her portrayal of Harper Lee. I much perferred her to Catherine Keener.

    Unnecessary for sure, but worth watching if you're curious. Ultimately tho, it fails where Capote succeeded.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    December 25, 2007
    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.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    December 14, 2007
    Daniel Craig was brilliant in his portrayal of Capote. While "Capote" was good with Phillip Seymour, this was much more in depth and richer.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    December 4, 2007
    Having watched and reviewed Capote, I was really intrigued by Infamous, which covered the same story of Truman Capote's book In Cold Blood . Not only had Capote come out the same year (2006) as this later film, but was so overwhelmingly well received. How could another movie on the same subject be any better? I can certainly say that it was not better, but as interesting as the subject matter itself.

    Infamous, Starring Tobey Jones is the same account of the Clutter Murders of 1959 in Holcomb, Kansas with a major difference, the point of view from both the Director and "the Society" with which Capote encompassed himself. In this rendition, Capote is reflected as a gossip, who thrives on the lives and misfortune of others. But he shows compassion to his close friends. It feels so wonderful to be part of the "group" of populars that no one seems to care that one's deepest darkest secret will be shared by Capote at a whim and to his benefit. Through the film, we see Capote change as he connects with Perry Smith, one of the murderers and the subject of Truman's book. He goes from flippant and gregarious to a more humble human being. So much so that it ultimately is his demise.

    Rather than account the story of In Cold Blood, Capote and now Infamous, I would like to further say the second aspect of this film is the casting. Knowing the story that has been told and retold can be a curse for any remake of sorts. Int his case, the casting was truly exceptional save a few. Tobey Jones as Capote is not quite as true as Phillip Seymour Hoffman who won the award for his portrayal, but offers quite a stand up performance. Even more femme and glitz, still able to convince us that he IS Truman Capote and forgetting that another Capote could exist. Even better, though arguable was the portrayal of Perry Smith by Daniel Craig. I seriously had to look several times closely as this character lacked the British Accent, the suave debonair persona of previous characters. Craig was quite convincing as a cold blooded killer with deeply hidden feelings of lament and regret. I was amazed at his physique, strong and buff was diminished to a seedy, unattractive man with a limp. Even when his final moment comes, I felt as Capote did, sorry.

    The additional casting was good but not great. Sandra Bullock was convincing as Nell Harper Lee (who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird) but not even on par with Catherine Keener. I was disappointed by Gweneth Palthrow's short appearance as she sang. During the song, I was worried that the rest of the movie would be a "Lip Sync" drama. Not even close!

    While this is so similar a story to it's predecessors, I highly recommend Infamous, but absolutely insist that you also see Capote. I am sure that had this version come out a year or two before or after Capote, it would have been better received. After all, who wants to see the same story done again?
  • 3.0 Stars
    MCT:
    November 19, 2007
    an actor's film. a cornucopia of them show up for this lighter and more scandalous take on Capote. a good effort, however, compared with Seymor-Hoffman and 'Capote', i prefer that over this film in it's dramatic and cold tone. Infamous shows the flair in Capote, the man. 'Capote' showed the art that the man created.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    November 17, 2007
    Better than Capote. If this had come out first, it would have been Toby Jones up for awards. He was very entertaining. Other great performances include Sandra Bullock and Daniel Craig. A lot of sly humor but ultimately a sad story.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    November 14, 2007
    i havent seen copote yet though this one was really good, sad and i thought the actors were picked well i especially love sandra bulluck even after her let down in premonition though i found picking daniel craig strange since he is blonde blue eyed in real life though i enjoyed this film
  • 3.0 Stars
    MCT:
    November 12, 2007
    I had no urge what-so-ever to see this film, but I gave in to watch it the other night. I was very surprised! Not only did I enjoy it I thought it was one of the better films I've rented recently. If you're looking for something random to watch one evening give this one a go.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    October 28, 2007
    While "Capote" is an excellent film that deserved all the critical acclaim that it received and as well the Best Actor Oscar for Phillip Seymour Hoffman's astonishing performance as author Truman Capote, this other film which was greenlighted at the same and also explored the exact same story as that film (on how Capote wrote his classic novel "In Cold Blood") which was largely dismissed by people as just the "other Capote film". This is a shame because this just as really great and in some aspects better than that film. Toby Jones does a amazing job as "Capote" and the all-star cast are all terrific (both Sandra Bullock and Daniel Craig, even if he is miscast as "Perry Smith", are the stand-outs with the great turns). The direction was nicely done, the script is beautifully written and the production/costume is wonderful. What also liked about this film was that we got to see more of his friendship with childhood friend (and fellow author) "Nelle Harper Lee" (Bullock) and as well as his relationship with "Perry Smith", which is more explored here. Also I like the fact that the first half of the film was a little more light-hearted and witty , because it goes more into Capote's social life with his socitey friends (which was only hinted a little in the previous film) before it becomes more compelling and dramatic in the second half, which helps it give it that power. Even though I still think that "Capote" is still the superior film of the two but this is also such a really great film that I also recommend to watch as well.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    September 19, 2007
    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.
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    August 29, 2007
    After seeing "Capote" I could not help but think this movie isn't good enough. Maybe if I hadn't seen "Capote" I would've watched the entire film.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    August 26, 2007
    I haven't seen the alternate Capote movie but I thought this biopic that explores the same story as the before mentioned film has a lot of charm thanks to a great cast and an enjoyable performance from Toby Jones. The balance between the comedy and drama works well. Gwyneth Paltrow is wasted in a small role but the likes of Sandra Bullock and Sigourney Weaver are great.

Summary