DVD Review Capote Review (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Silverman]

Hi gang,

I do plan on reviewing Capote, but I have been informed that there has been a backlog of requests for screeners and they're not sure when one will be available (I actually requested it a week ago, and they were already backed up).

They did offer to send a test disc, but I thanked them and let them know that you guys would prefer to wait in order to get a review of the actual release disc.

I'll let you know when they send it. In the meantime, hang in there!

 

[Dannie]

a couple of stores here in nyc have it already so the review should be up by now and some peeps here should have it

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

I haven't seen the actual DVD. However, I saw the film twice during its theatrical run (which I rarely do these days).

Bottom line: Philip Seymour Hoffman (whom I met a couple of years ago in New York) is astounding, as are both Chris Cooper and Catherine Keener. The film itself it quite unlike anything else that was released last year. It's somewhat downbeat mood will not appeal to everyone. However, for anyone who has ever been remotely interested in the journalistic process, you will be blown away. I highly recommend Capote for its internal sense of truth and the masterful way in which it was constructed. As much as I enjoyed the Best Picture winnder of this year, Crash, Capote is the greater work of art, IMHO.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

While I didn't think it was a bad film, it didn't do much for me personally. And I do find journalistic stuff interesting.
Put in the scope of the Best Picture nominees, I had it tied for my least favorite with Crash. Brokeback and Munich were pretty much tied for my favorite.

I may give this another chance on DVD at a later date.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Bought the DVD blindly and watched it today.

Utterly mesmerizing film! Hoffman is outstanding.
His Best Actor award was well deserved.

I watched two of the three featurettes on this disc
and was surprised to learn that IN COLD BLOOD was the
start of Capote's downfall. I think nothing was ever
the same for him since the release of the book.

This is a MUST SEE film!

 

[Tino]

Well said Ron. I agree with everything you said. I actually went and bought a copy of In Cold Blood today to read as a result of watching this excellent film.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I heard that since the Oscar win, In Cold Blood is back on the bestseller lists.

Review to come. . .

 

[DonRoeber]

I bought the book as a result of the movie. To Kill a Mockingbird as well.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

My local wallyworld had Capote in a twinpack together with In Cold Blood a week ahead of street date for $19.95--I never get this lucky.

This was a blind buy for me as well and am very happy with it. Normally on Tuesdays I'll scan thru the extras but not actually watch the movie as I have to get up too early for work. I watched a couple of the docs and decided to just watch the first half hour or so of the movie--couldn't stop watching, didn't even pause for potty breaks.

Hoffman was so good I might even wanna see MI-3 just because he's in it.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

I agree wholeheartedly. I even saw this twice during its theatrical run, which I NEVER do anymore. I just had to see Hoffman's performance again on the big screen. Absolutely amazing.

 

[Craig S]

Ditto. Screw the Brokeback/Crash brouhaha - of the five Oscar Best Picture nominees, this is the one I would have voted for if I was in the Academy.

I also bought & read "In Cold Blood" after seeing Capote. Pure brilliance.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I haven't seen Brokeback yet, but I think
that Capote is a far better film than Crash.

Who knew Hoffman had this in him? I mean, I have
seen him play these oddball parts before and thought
nothing of his performance. He's always been praised
by critics, but yet none of his films have ever stood
out. It's kind of neat to see an underdog like him
win a BEST ACTOR award.

As for the DVD, I never thought it looked that great.
It has a purposely dated look to it. The outdoor
establishing location shots have brief appearances of
dirt/splotches in them. It's hard to judge the transfer
quality on a DVD like this only because you are dealing
with subject matter that is not supposed to look pristine.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

It's funny, because Capote did little for me. I saw all 5 Best picture nominees, and I think I'd tie Capote with Crash for least enjoyable or moving. Not that Capote wasn't made well-it is a quality film. It just did nothing for me. I've never been a huge Hoffman fan, so maybe that has something to do with it.

If anything, the Best Picture battle should have been between Brokeback and Munich.

I may give Capote another chance on DVD, but not sure when. I will say that theatrically, it looked very moody and grainy, which I'm sure was intended.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Ron,

Glad to hear that you liked Capote. I enjoyed the film, but didn't love it, but since I saw it theatrically, I have read Capote's book "In Cold Blood", and watched the original film based on the book. Both are worth doing if you have the time.

Now, I have a renewed interest to revisit the film, and will be doing so this weekend.

 

[Jon Martin]

I watched it last night and that is where I am.

Hoffman was great, and the film was well shot, but it really didn't do much for me. I would have probably been more interested in a documentary on Capote's life, more about his whole career than just this one segment.

I did like it a lot more than CRASH. But then again, I liked just about every film last year more than CRASH.

It is well worth seeing, but I would advise against blind buying it as I can't see a lot of replay value for it.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Tell me about it!!!

 

[Robert Harris]

I'm confused by this thread.

Why is the subject matter of Capote not supposed to look pristine?

The film was photographed on several different emulsions of 35mm Eastman negative stock by cinematographer Adam Kimmel, with a Moviecam compact and Cooke S4 lenses.

The format was Super 35.

The screener that I viewed looked pristine.

Is there something wrong with the release version?

RAH

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Rah,

It's going to be difficult to debate
this issue with someone of your expertise,
so I am ready to be corrected where I may
be wrong.

I just felt that the film didn't stand out
looking as (for lack of a better word) "glossy"
as many of today's films.

I stated above that I didn't feel this was
the fault of the transfer but more of a
purposeful "look" that was probably given to
a dated story.

 

[Robert Harris]

I'll have to take a look at a release DVD.

I read the word "pristine" in terms of clean.

There is a wonderful article on the photography of Capote in the October issue of American Cinematographer.

RAH

 

[DeeF]

Don't care for Capote at all. Hoffmann was great, but it's an acting stunt, doing a voice and a walk. The movie revealed little about Capote, or about the process of writing the book. Its biggest dramatic moment is a direct ripoff of the book and movie of "In Cold Blood," the flashback visualization of the murders.