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Capote (R) κκκ½: On November 15, 1959 the brutal murder of a family in a small Kansas town sent shock waves through the nation. One-of-a-kind author Truman Capote was sent to Kansas to pen an article about the crimes for The New Yorker magazine. He ended up writing one of the most celebrated books of the century.

The film follows Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) on his odyssey to create the landmark bestseller "In Cold Blood." With style and caustic wit – and his friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) in tow – Capote attempts to charm the locals and work his way into the story behind the murders. He’s soon shocked, however, to find himself forming a friendship with one of the killers, Perry Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr.). As the book nears completion and execution day approaches, Capote finds himself torn in directions he never anticipated and is forever changed by his experiences.

The movie provides insight into the minds of cold-blooded killers as well as how those in legitimate professions are amoral users of people who mistook them as friends.

George O. Singleton © 2005

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