Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote: An Acting Masterpiece

Truman Capote is one of the most well-known writers in American history, but this movie shows a whole other side to the famous author. Never before has there been a movie that has so engrossed it’s viewers in the life of someone who is so often behind the scenes. This movie brings to light the story of a man who dedicated years of his life to discovering the truth behind the horrific murders that took place in a small Kansas town. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as Truman Capote in this dramatic cinema masterpiece. With one word, Hoffman draws the audience in and intrigues. His portrayal of Capote is one that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Hoffman does a phenomenal job of capturing who Capote was as a person. This entails many things. One of the keys of this performance is the way that Hoffman speaks. He perfectly captures how Capote would have spoken, and uses this as a building block for the character. Despite his voice and the many things that could make him an outcast, Capote manages to always draw a crowd. Hoffman is able to visualize the direct change that occurs in his life when he begins to focus and obsess on this crime. Over the course of the movie, we see a bright, vibrant man in a happy relationship transform into a man who is unable to understand the good in the world. There is so much emotion that goes behind the portrayal and execution of this role, that it is palpable when viewing the movie. Hoffman has managed to perfectly encapsulate every emotion that Capote felt while writing this book, and share it with his audience. This performance truly makes this movie an experience and provides something that is rarely offered in acting: raw emotion.