09/29/2005
That Capote Film
Media manipulation, narcissism, ethics, murder, literature. I'm hoping that Capote is as good as people are saying. Although it didn't make the first official list of Oscar odds released by BetWWTS.com, Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance is said to be statue-worthy. Here is a round-up of the latest chat about Capote, which opens tomorrow on the coasts:
Truman Capote probably wouldn't have liked the film: "Capote himself probably would have chafed at the insights into the darker parts of his character - his neediness and greed, his selfishness and questionable ethics - that director Bennett Miller and writer Dan Futterman offer in their astonishingly assured feature debut...But the genius of Futterman's script, adapted from Gerald Clarke's biography, is how it shows that In Cold Blood represented both the zenith of Capote's fame and acclaim and the beginning of his social and psychological unravelling."
Hoffman scared of role: "I was like, 'What the hell?' I literally said, 'What the hell?' Then I started watching material on Capote, and I thought, 'Oh. My. God. There's no way I'm going to do that,'" Although he was an executive producer as well as the film's star, Hoffman hoped the project would fall through. "I thought, If we never get the money, we'll all be off the hook."
Hollywood Reporter on Phillip Seymour Hoffman's preparation: "Hoffman shed more than 40 pounds, and rehearsed with Miller, mostly in the director's apartment, mining Capote's ambition, greed, narcissism, self-interest and shame. That was more than two months before production began in Winnipeg, Canada." Director Bennett Miller: "Phil was able to ... take the physicality of the character and really ingest it and own it completely so that he could really get to the core of this guy and play the complexities. And sometimes it would happen that Phil would have prepared one way, and we would discuss things -- maybe we agreed, maybe we disagreed -- but the cameras would roll and he would enter the room. He would then do the exact thing he argued against doing because once he was in that moment his head was no longer in control. He was really leading from his instincts and his gut ..."
The evolution of the film's production—a project among friends: "We were, like, leaning forward. If we could have reached forward and grabbed them, we would have. We knew that if it didn't come soon, it wouldn't."
Related
Truman Capote's Past Up for Auction [tr]
Prepare to be Capoted [tr]
Posted 10:40 AM EST by Andy Towle in Film & TV | Permalink
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Good for Phil.
I'm glad to see he gets a role where he's not a blubbering, closeted whale (Boogie Nights) or some psycho, babbling tornado-chaser (Twister).
I hope he gets an Oscar nod for his role.
Posted by: Tread | Sep 29, 2005 11:43:51 AM
I hope this movie is great because I really want to see it. I don't go to the movies very often (people are noisy and rude).
I think PSH is a great actor and deserves a star making role and TC is to this day a writer I can read again and again and find something new to celebrate. He was such a force of nature through out his career both for good and bad and he was never boring.
His life ended very sadly and he never recovered when his Swans turned him (for just cause I suppose)but I just loved to read and listen to him in my teens. My mother and I used to look for him on all the chat shows (no wonder she was far from shocked when I came out.
Thanks Andy (now bring on the beefcake)
Posted by: Donald | Sep 29, 2005 12:36:14 PM
SPOILERS AHEAD:
I saw Capote @ a pre-release screening and PSH is astonishing. And from what I've read about Capote [the film focuses on the events and his writing "In Cold Blood"] it's true to his character, warts and all...but you don't end really "liking" him as the publishing of his book is delayed each time the execution of the killers is also delayed.
However, this doesn't diminish the impact of the film which is stunning.
Posted by: JOHN~L.A. | Sep 29, 2005 3:31:18 PM
I saw this at the NY Film Fest the other night -- see my blog for comments. It was surprisingly good.
Posted by: Pedestrian Rage | Sep 29, 2005 8:03:59 PM
Lawd was Capote gorgeous when he was young, like on, say, the cover of the single by The Smiths The Boy With the Thorn in His Side.
As for his later years, as Morrissey crooned:
Fame fame fatal fame
It can play hideous tricks
On the brain
Oh, and Dan Futterman [SWOON] He should have been the love of Will's life on W&G. Oh well.
Posted by: Henry Holland | Sep 29, 2005 9:49:34 PM