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Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Format: NTSC
Sales Rank: 217628
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Infamous is inevitably compared to Capote, since it also chronicles author Truman Capote's spiral into chaos while composing his masterpiece, In Cold Blood, a breakthrough non-fictional tale told as fiction. It's a shame that Capote's critical acclaim eclipsed this film's, as Toby Jones is perfectly convincing as Capote, with his small stature and eccentric manner. Infamous mimics the novel's fictionalized non-fiction, opening on 'interviews' with Capote's New York friends like Diana Vreeland (Juliet Stevenson) and Babe Paley (Sigourney Weaver). The film, set in 1959, begins with Capote's discovery of the farm family murder story and his trek out to Kansas with confidant, Nelle Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock). Stressing Capote's relationships with Lee, the film justifies Capote's marginal behavior by Lee's speaking about Capote's childhood neglect, which she also wrote into To Kill A Mockingbird. Capote's own description of his rough childhood then serves as a barrier breaker between himself and Perry Smith (Daniel Craig), the half of the Perry Smith-Dick Hickock killing team who is at first unwilling to talk. Infamous makes much of the sexual tension between Capote and Smith, implying that Capote persevered through his project for Smith's love. Based on George Plimpton's oral biography, Infamous deserves a stellar place in Capote-lore, as there is ample room for both competing films. --Trinie Dalton
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - The Tiny Terror and a Sensitive Bogeyman
Released nearly a year after Philip Seymour Hoffman's Oscar-winning turn in "Capote", Douglas McGrath's overlooked "Infamous" (based on George Plimpton's bestseller) covers, essentially, the same territory while remaining uniquey different from its predecessor.
Star Toby Jones has the right look for the late author, and certainly has his mannerisms down pat. More spritely, less acerbic, and less dissipated than the Capote inhabited by Hoffman, Jones has an almost wholesome winsomness ... Read More
Rating:  - Infamous
Interesting movie, Toby Jones is an actor to be compared with Anthony Hopkins in talent and most any movie he is in will be great. Also the movie A Harlot's Progress is just riveting.
Rating: - Better than the other one
I couldn't get through the more highly acclaimed "Capote" the first time I tried. But I had no trouble with this one which nicely tells the "In Cold Blood" story. Nice cinematography. This actor as Capote is every bit the equal of Philip Seymour Hoffman's, I think. Watch it if you are into literary bio-pics. Compare it to its rival. It's worth watching both, and I did.
Rating: - And the winner is...
I'll just add my voice to those who found this a superior film to the earlier 'Capote.' It is more robust, well-rounded, and more interesting than the latter. This film is truly a 'film' and does not pretend to 'document' the story of Capote and the writing of the famous book. There is more opportunity to see the range of dynamics at work intrapsychically as Capote displays contradictory and complex feelings toward his subject. It is also aesethetically more original--one can see the artist/writer/director ... Read More
Rating: - THE BEST OF THE "CAPOTE TWINS"
Of "The Two Mr. Capotes" (the other being the more commercially popular "Capote", released at the same time last year), this is definitely the best one. While Phillip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal may have been Oscar-worthy, Toby Jones really brings the pain here - the mincing walk, overdone eye gestures, and chalkboard-grating high voice are dead on. Plus, you get the feel of his relationship with what were then "true socialites", Babe Paley (Sigourney Weaver), Slim Keith (Hope Davis) and Marella Agnelli (Isabella ... Read More
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