Capote.

This story of the events that took place during the writing of Truman Capote’s pioneering work of the ‘true crime’ genre In Cold Blood was probable Philip Seymour Hoffman’s greatest film. For his role as the author he won five best actor awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.

In Cold Blood is a true account of a multiple murder that took place in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. The victims were farmer Herbert Clutter, his wife and two of their four children. The film Capote (2005) follows Truman and his close friend and research assistant the American novelist Nelle Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) from when the news first broke of the murders, up until the culprit’s execution some five years later. It attempts to define the strange relationship that developed between Capote and the emotionally detached Perry Smith, a sad and lonely man who, it was proved, actually killed the Clutter’s.

 

Hoffman with Catherine Keener.

Although a very challenging role we again find that Hoffman has actual become his character, the mannerisms, the voice and the way he moves. He manages to bring out Capote’s personality and makes us, the viewer, completely spell bound and we are totally convinced of the strengths and weaknesses of the man. He gives us a believable insight into how the author, a man fascinated by people, wins over the suspicious Holcomb locals, the police chief and his wife and the two men who committed the horrendous crime.

 

Truman Copote.

Perry Smith and his accomplice .

Directed by Bennett Miller (Moneyball 2011) and written by Dan Futterman who based his story on Gerald Clarke’s biography of the same name.  The static camerawork of Adam Kimmel and the muted palate with no blues or reds was brilliantly worked to heighten the audience’s acute awareness. Shot on location in Winnipeg with a small budget and little time, but what we get is a masterpiece in characterisation from an actor who will be sorely missed, but who thankfully left us a body of work that I fully intend to return too from time to time just to remind me how it should be done.

A Late Quartet.

Written and directed by American Yaron Silberman whose only previous screen work was an award-winning documentary called Watermarks made in 2004. It related the true story of the Hokoah Vienna Jewish women’s swim team of the 1930’s, their forced separation and their reunion decades later. His first feature film is A Late Quartet (2012), a colourful interpretation of four classical musicians who over the years have grown to rely on each other far too much, and like the preverbal pack of cards, when one falls the others will follow.

The Fugue String Quartet is internationally acclaimed, based in New York they have been playing classical music together for 25 years. The four members consist of cellist Peter Mitchell (Christopher Walken in an unfamiliar role that takes some getting use to) a quiet man whose life has been affected by the recent death of his concert-singing wife from cancer. The second violinist is Robert Gelbert  (Philip Seymour Hoffman) whose ambition to be first violinist has never been fulfilled. He’s married to the quartet’s viola player Juliette (the always superb Catherine Keener) who have been together since their student days. The 40-year-old couple have a daughter Alex (Imogen Poots) who is also a student of music and plays the violin. The fourth member of the quartet is the technically brilliant first violinist Daniel Lerner (Mark Ivanir) an intense man who also teaches Alex violin.

 

Christopher Walken as Peter Mitchell.

Peter announces he has been diagnosed with early signs of Parkinson’s disease a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that in due course will end his ability to play music. This bombshell throws the remaining members of the quartet in to disarray leading them to question their fears, hopes and futures. 

This intelligent film starts rather slowly but eventually when it kicks into emotional overdrive it does take off.  The acting is first rate as you would expect from a high-powered ensemble cast and for lovers of Beethoven’s Op 131 for String Quartet this is defiantly your movie. The cinematography of Frederick Elmes, who was responsible for the camera work in Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), is the real star of the film highlighting the beauty of mid winter in New Yorks Central Park and contrasting this with the warmth and splendor of the interior shots. 

New Yorks Central Park in winter.

Trust.

Poster.

I could not help agree with the comment made by one of the members of the RBC Film Club that this seasons films are even more diverse and varied than usual and David Schwimmers second project as director Trust (2010), his debut was the 2007 comedy Run Fatboy Run, is certainly different from what you would expect from the star of the American TV comedy series Friends. The films central character is an insecure Chicago schoolgirl called Annie Cameron who receives a laptop from her father on her 14th birthday. It's on this Apple Mac that she is groomed, which in turn leads to her being raped after agreeing to meet her internet predator and accompanying him to a motel room. Schwimmer sets out to show not only the effects of the rape on Annie but on her family. The 14 year old Liana Liberato gives a outstanding performance as Annie Cameron, British actor Clive Owen does a convincing job of portraying Annie's father Will, a man who quite understandably gets his priorities wrong following his daughters rape. The award winning Catherine Keener gives her normal workman like performance as Annie's mother, Lynn.

Annie Cameron.

A very enjoyable and informative introduction was given by Pat Pickering who firstly pointed out that even the critics and film reviewers could not agree and gave completely differing opinions on Monday nights film and it would be interesting to see what the Film Club thought of the movie? Pat went on to inform us that David Schwimmer has a personal interest in the subject matter, as he is an active director of the Rape Treatment Centre in Santa Monica, California, which specialises in helping victims of date rape and child rape.   He has also campaigned for legislation to ban so-called “date-rape” drugs. The script was written by Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger based on a play written by Bellin and David Schwimmer first performed in 2010 at the Looking Glass Theatre Company in Chicago.

Mum and Dad.

Pat pointed out that the film raises many issues, including where to draw the line between fostering independence and protecting children from harm, and also raised the question, as the director did, if your teenager mistook “grooming” (internet or otherwise) for “love” how would you deal with it as a parent?  In America the film has an “R” rating, which means viewers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and even in the UK, the film has a 15 certificate. Which was one of the points raised in the lively discussion that followed.

The film divided the audience, with the younger members arguing that the film did not get it's intended message across, with the older members disagreeing. As the director treated this upsetting subject in a non exploitative manner a lesser certificate could have benefited a much younger audience. Generally it was agreed that the film was powerful, emotional and the actors well cast. But watching the film from a parents viewpoint, was very uncomfortable and I know that for many of us a very hard watch. The only thing that spoilt the film was the ending, I understand that American audience's demand closure but I could not see the point of extending the film beyond the scene with Annie and her father in a reconcilable hug in their garden.