2006 film i downloaded this week with a star-studded cast - Daniel Craig, Sandra Bullock, Signourney Weaver...

Fabulous film about Truman Capote who wrote, among other things, Breakfast at Tiffany's. The story is about his last book, In Cold Blood, which is based upon the true story of two murderers who killed a farmer and his family - Capote gets to know the murderers and eventually falls in love with one of them, played by Daniel Craig. This was the last book Capote ever wrote and you'll understand why by the end of the film...

This is a fantastic film for anyone who writes - Capote's best friend in the film is based on Harper Lee who wrote 'To Kill a Mockingbird', and their conversations are fascinating. Lee feels In Cold Blood is the first book Capote has ever written where he is kind to the characters.

Capote is a flamboyant man who talks 'like a Brussel sprout' would - a most appropriate description! He is a gossip, popular with the Hollywood columnists and actors and actresses of the day and sets off to charm his way into the small-town community where the murder took place. Couple this with a mesmerizing performance by Craig and you have all the elements for an entertaining, moving, thought-provoking film which leaves you with only one desire: to get on Amazon and order yourself a copy of In Cold Blood.

The year before this film another movie was made about Capote and was Oscar nominated, i believe - hard to think it could be better than this version...

Philip Seymour Hoffman Toby Jones Capote Harper lee

Casey I loved this too. I saw this on the big screen and the earlier version 'Capote' with Philip Seymour Hoffman I saw on DVD before it. I must admit I preferred 'Infamous' partly because I thought British actor Toby Jones bore a much better physical resemblance to how I imagine Truman Capote, who was openly gay and as camp as Milletts at a time when, coming from the deep south as he did was very courageous.

However, the other reason I preferred the second version is to do with the fact that when I saw 'Capote' I hadn't read 'In Cold Blood' on which this film is based, and I didn't know, either, who the other characters were - notably Harper Lee, who wrote 'to Kill A Mockingbird' so in a sense the original version informed my appreciation of the second version.

'In Cold Blood' is a very important book in that it changed writing forever with it's 'factional' style. However, it destroyed Capote. He got so close to his subjects that he lived and breathed the case he was writing about. He never wrote anything of any consequence thereafter, lliving more from his celebrity than his writing.

Hmm, i have to say, Jem, i now feel compelled to read the book. The Capote character made me laugh a lot but also moved me and some of the sentiments about how close he got to his writing really resonated with me.

I kind of passed this one by, because I watched Capote and really liked it - although it was pretty depressing. I'll check this other one out now.

JB

Do read it, Casey, if you get a chance. It's one of the first novels (if that's the right word) where we sympathise with motiveless killers. It's old hat now to have a real villain we can sympathise with, and I think this was the book that turned the tide.

Yeh, just off to search on Amazon, see how much it is...

I'll be interested to see which version you think is best, JB...

Well, i've just ordered it - and for good measure Breakfast At Tiffanys...

(oh, and for extra good measure, the Beano Annual 2008)