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Review

In Cold Blood (1967)
A truly remarkable screen adaptation of Truman Capote's novel. Straightforward presentation in moody black and white avoids sensationalizing the already potent story of random slaughter by two aimless, rootless lost boys (Robert Blake and Scott Wilson). Director Richard Brooks, aided by a masterful script, conveys complex information and muted emotional states with assured skill and humane empathy. Unsettling, discomforting, rewarding.

Capote (2005)
Immersing himself into the title role to such an extent that the artist completely disappears, acclaimed character actor Philip Seymour Hoffman takes center stage and gives a tour-de-force performance that pushes the boundaries of biographical portrayals. It's a staggering portrait of voice, movement and being that is at the heart of a remarkable work that is meticulously crafted, beautifully written and imbued with a tender, grand eloquence. In 1959, two drifters murdered a Kansas farmer and his family; the investigation, capture, trial, imprisonment and mindset of the killers were painstakingly detailed in Truman Capote's groundbreaking nonfiction novel "In Cold Blood." Capote, a film of great power and superior artistry, would have no doubt pleased the fastidious gay author with its thorough, thoughtful look at the literary process and one writer's harrowing artistic journey. In examining Capote's six-year sojourn of endless interviews and conversations in the desolate Kansas countryside, screenwriter Dan Futterman and director Bennett Miller have succeeded with uncommon facility in capturing the difficult nuances of the film's diverse themes of creativity, criminology and celebrity. The supporting ensemble is flawless; from Catherine Keener's graceful turn as writer Harper Lee to Chris Cooper's determined small-town sheriff to, especially, Clifton Collins, Jr.'s tortured, soul-eyed killer whose symbiotic relationship with apote is framed with the delicate suggestion of mentor, friend and lover. Capote is a rare, breathtaking celebration of artistic temperament, endeavor, achievement; and the sometimes high cost they demand.

 -- David Bleiler