It seems inevitable that a mere description of Infamous might inspire a feeling of déjà vu: an accomplished and acclaimed but under-recognized character actor in a feisty, star-making performance; a star-studded cast delivering brilliant performances; an intense, engrossing story that explores the complexities of the human condition with wisdom, compassion and conviction; and an uncompromising artistic vision executed with integrity, passion and a commitment to uncovering inner truths instead of easy answers.
But despite sharing qualities and subject matter with last year’s Capote, Infamous is very much its own work. Based on George Plimpton’s relentlessly thorough book “Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career,” Infamous follows famed author Truman Capote (Toby Jones) as he investigates the murder of a family in rural Kansas. Assisted in very different ways by lifelong friend and novelist Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock) and local sheriff Alvin Dewey (Jeff Daniels), Capote gradually establishes a unique and complicated relationship with Perry Smith (Daniel Craig), a troubled man with a deeply conflicted past.
Director Douglas McGrath explores rich, complicated terrain glossed over by other biographies of Capote. Refusing to shy away from the homophobia that dogged the writer throughout his life or the intense chemistry that drew Capote and Smith together, the film bravely explores the profound connection between the two men and the monumental effect it had on Capote’s personal and professional life for years afterward.
Jones disappears into the role of Capote, seamlessly capturing an immensely complex character full of cheek, contradictions and Herculean self-assurance. In addition to brilliantly conceived performances from Craig, Bullock and Daniels, the enviably impeccable cast is rounded out by such towering talents as Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini, Hope Davis and Sigourney Weaver.
A highly intelligent and refined film, Infamous explores how a deep, hidden heartbreak ultimately crippled one of the most brilliant literary minds of our time. As Bullock’s Harper Lee notes at one crucial point, “At the centre of any bright flame, there’s always a little touch of blue.”
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6.7
(2,585 votes)
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Infamous
