This last weekend I was suffering with some flu like symptoms so we took the opportunity to catch up on some current movies, Departed and Infamous. My preconceptions about both movies kept me from being excited about seeing either movie. Departed looked like just another violent, gangster movie with a wonderful cast. Infamous looked like a sequel.
The first movie we saw was Departed and I was pleasantly surprised. It was well written with an intricate plot and fascinating characters. I always find that good movies have at least one character who steals your attention whenever they get on screen. This movie had several characters who grabbed your attention whenever they appeared. I won’t go into the details of the movie but the story had plenty of unexpected twists and it did not end up the way I thought it would. This is a film worthy of an Oscar.
Infamous is a movie I was real reluctant to watch. I thought the first Capote movie was good but it was not a movie I had a desire to watch a second time. My expectations were pretty low for this movie. Boy, did this movie surprise me!
Like the movie Departed, this movie was loaded with fascinating caricatures and a well-written script. The biggest and brightest caricature is Capote. Although Capote is more overtly homosexual in this movie than in the previous Capote movie, I think his homosexuality helps make the Capote character more interesting and engaging. One of the great scenes is when this flamboyant gay tries to interview people on the street in this stark, conservative Kansas town about a murder they do not want to talk about. It looks like Capote is doomed to failure. Yet despite the town’s aversion to Capote’s homosexuality, Capote was very adept at finding ways to make people comfortable with talking to him. The little vignettes showing how how Capote won the confidence of the people in the town are truly fascinating and helps explain how he was subsequently able to gain the confidence of the killers. Although the In Cold Blood plot was well trodden by others, the writing and caricatures in Infamous makes this movie different and maybe more entertaining. It’s a good movie.