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Infamous
Directed by: Douglas McGrath
Starring: Toby Jones
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 110
min.
Release Date:
September 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Comparisons between films
on the same subject are usually separated by decades rather than one
year, but last year’s
CAPOTE (2005), starring Philip Seymour Hoffman is now
being shadowed by the 2006 release of this film, INFAMOUS. And shadowed
is the operative word here, simply because Capote towers both in acting
and cohesive story structure over Infamous.
Probably the biggest issue with Infamous is its piecemealing together of
the various story threads, giving the entire production a herky-jerky
feel to it. Also, taking nothing away from Toby Jones’s performance as
the effeminate Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman pulled in a finer
performance thanks to a much smoother flowing storyline.
The best acting part in Infamous would have to be Daniel Craig’s
portrayal of Perry Smith, one of the murderers whom Truman Capote gets
close to in order to finish his greatly successful novel, "In Cold Blood."
A novel that not only makes Truman Capote but breaks him as well, for he wrote
nothing up to that standard for the rest of his life. Clifton Collins
Jr. did an admirable job as Perry in the film Capote, but Craig stuns
and surprises after seeing his gruff debonair-ness in the wildly
successful CASINO ROYALE
(2006).
Another problem with Infamous is that there are some big name
actors/actresses in it if for no other reason than to say, “Hey. There
are some big name actors/actresses in this movie.” Jeff Daniels,
Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini, Hope Davis, and
a slew of others lend their names but not much of their talent to the
film. A shame, too, as many of them are fine actors/actresses. Jeff
Daniels might be the exception in that list, but not by much.
Certainly there are some entertaining portions to the film, especially
whenever the social elite reveal secrets to one another (especially to
Truman who is their constant confidant) and promise not to spread it
around ...and then inevitably do the very moment they get a chance. That
was quite entertaining. But, as a whole, the story’s script flagged
horribly in the end, never really making the viewer care about any of
these once vibrantly active people (murderer and social butterfly
alike). And that’s what helped the film Capote succeed over this one.
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Image from Infamous
DVD cost: $24.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Mark Wahlberg was
originally contracted to play Perry Smith, but dropped out in August
2004. He was replaced in October 2004 by Mark Ruffalo until he
dropped out as well.
Movie Quote: "The
district attorney doesn't take calls from strange women."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Infamous
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