Infamous 2006

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Infamous isn't able to convey the great sense of guilt and responsibility Capote wrestled with -- he needed a man who trusted him to die in order to finish his book -- becoming instead a more superficial and pedestrian tale of doomed love. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Infamous is quietly stolen by Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: By the end ... Infamous more or less finds itself, after trying a little bit of everything. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: Neither movie [about Capote] gives you the whole picture, but it's fun to see them both and rearrange the pieces in your head. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: The film benefits from three splendid performances: Toby Jones as Capote, an aggressively gay elf exuding a tosspot charm; Sandra Bullock as Nelle Harper Lee, a novelist who uses spoken words with quiet precision, and Daniel Craig as Perry. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: Two good films about one subject [are] much better than a lot of bad films about different things. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Once he gets to the Midwest, the movie's arch tone becomes tiresome and, more importantly, out of place. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: The problem with Infamous isn't that it revisits Capote's turf -- it's that it does the same things well, and leaves the same unsatisfying holes. Read more

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: Toby Jones, the British actor with the impossible task of following an Oscar winner, gives a stellar, idiosyncratic performance as Capote. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Rarely do battling productions -- these two were shot mere months apart -- result in equally valid films, but that's the case here. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: The picture gives off a tone of arch stylization that plays as artificial, overwrought and off-putting. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: Ultimately, as a cautionary tale about fictionalized journalism, it's a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: When Infamous is on, it's really on. It's much more celebratory of Capote's unequaled, larger-than-life spirit, which can be a joy to watch. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Jones has a few moments of resonant pathos near the end and the film is entertaining enough. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: Infamous is one of the funniest sad movies in recent memory. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Infamous is a well-made movie about a fascinating character, and if it weren't essentially a repeat of last year's Capote it would likely be one of the hot flicks in filmdom right now. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: A goggly interest in gossip becomes the glittering gimmick of Infamous, as well as its undoing as a work that can measure up to the rigorous, sophisticated understatement of Bennett Miller's Capote. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: McGrath focuses on Capote's own divided soul, where massive insecurity co-exists with great courage. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: What begins as a mischievous frolic gradually becomes a sad tale about a sad man. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: This worthy second biopic of Truman Capote starts not with a bloodbath, but a cocktail. Read more

Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly: It's the one closest in spirit to Capote himself, the fabulist whose very conception of In Cold Blood as a 'nonfiction novel' stemmed from the wisdom that reality is rarely as tantalizing as fantasy. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: It's a literate and meticulously argued film in its own right, but one that would be best appreciated by those who missed the first one. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Even judged on its own, though, McGrath's movie feels slightly misjudged. Read more

Jack Mathews, New York Daily News: British actor Toby Jones is so physically right in the role, you'll think Capote is playing himself. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Infamous covers just enough new ground to be interesting, but it will always suffer by comparison. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Capote was at times cool and antiseptic, but Infamous is warmer and more emotionally satisfying. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: [With Hoffman], it was easy to see Capote as someone truly extraordinary, perhaps a genius. Toby Jones... doesn't have that quality, though he does offer something almost as good: Watching him it's easy to believe he's really Truman Capote. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Unlike its coolly detached brother, Infamous is right in your face, as amusing in flashes, and annoying for stretches, as any shallow little tyke. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: No matter how noble the competitor, coming in second in a contest always feels like a lesser effort. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: All that was painted grey in Capote becomes black-and-white here. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: It's a stellar cast, but you can't help but lament the bad timing. Read more

David Rooney, Variety: Regardless of the liberties taken, there was an integrity and character-complexity to the 2005 release that's missing from this glossier biopic. Read more

Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice: It can't withstand the comparisons [to Capote]. It's good, especially during its first half, just not good enough. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: A riveting, well-made picture for the few of you who still remember those quaint, antiquarian objects called 'books' and recall the vanished age when they were really important. Read more