INFAMOUS A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
INFAMOUS, which covers the exact same story as last year's CAPOTE, pales in comparison to the Oscar-winning CAPOTE. But, perhaps a fairer question would be how INFAMOUS succeeds on its own. In short, it just doesn't, going from being a cloying comedy in the first half to a tedious drama in the second via a clunky and awkward tonal change.
In a brilliant performance, never-to-be-forgotten performance, Philip Seymour Hoffman became Truman Capote in CAPOTE without ever feeling the need to chew up the scenery. It was by far the best performance of the year, winning Hoffman an Academy Award. In contrast, Toby Jones's Capote in INFAMOUS is never anything more than a silly buffoon, who doesn't appear to have a brain in his head. His Capote appears incapable of any literary accomplishment. Jones just hams it up, playing to the cheap seats. When he attempts a serious turn in the film's concluding half, he is never convincing or interesting. In the first part, he at least induces some laughter, but the second, slow half goes nowhere believable.
Writer and director Douglas McGrath uses a long series of infuriatingly ridiculous and quick-cut talking heads to introduce us to Capote and later to fill us in on how we should feel about it. This all come across as a cheesy mockumentary à la BEST IN SHOW.
Typical of the headspeak is the monologue by Gore Vidal (Michael Panes), who describes Truman's voice. "Imagine what a Brussels sprout would sound like," he tells us, talking into the camera, "if a Brussels sprout could talk." This very campy portion starts to get a bit more serious when Capote finally meets the killers chronicled in his most famous book, "In Cold Blood." In a performance without much credibility or humanity, Daniel Craig (the new James Bond) plays Perry Smith, the most high profile of the two vicious murderers.
When Jones's Truman declares towards the end, "It's too much," about the unfolding events, I thought about Jones's performance, which was way too much. His attempted parody of a man who was already something of a living parody just never worked. It was definitely too much.
INFAMOUS runs a long 1:58. It is rated R for "language, violence and some sexuality" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, October 13, 2006. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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