November 13, 2005

Don't make fun of the man's lisp

Yesterday the SNU and I took in what was probably my first film to kick off Oscar season. We went to see Capote, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the title character.

In short, it was very good. Incredible acting throughout, stark wintry landscapes, and costumes that are appropriate to the time. Hoffman (whom I have a wee crush on) plays Capote with full-on lisp, always with a drink in hand. The film focuses on Capote's efforts over a four-year period to write In Cold Blood - the non-fiction account of the brutal killing of a Kansas family. By his side is childhood friend and research help Nelle Harper Lee, who just happens to write her own novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. She's played by the always wonderful Catherine Keener.

Expect this film to receive at least a couple Oscar nominations, possibly more. And go see it.

My rant for today is movies in which actors wear fat suits. They trivialize the real struggles of those who battle their weight. It's silly, insulting, and predictable. Man is fat and unloved, man loses weight, man gets the girl. (Or reverse the genders, same premise - remember Shallow Hal?) The latest crime in this horrific trend is Just Friends, which stars the always-annoying Ryan Reynolds. May it tank and go straight to video!

3 comments:

DC Food Blog said...

Capote is written by the big friend of the Queer community Dan Futterman (who was Robin Williams son on the Birdcage and did a guest gig on Will and Grace). Right on about the fat suit. It trivializes what we people of size put with. I was annoyed by Ryan Reynolds when he was on that Two Guys and a Girl show.

Stef said...

I agree that Capote is phenomenal! It's the first of my Oscar picks (see http://sterfanie.blogspot.com/2005/11/let-buzz-begin.html) and I thought the acting was truly amazing.

I also abhor the fat suit thing. Remember Julia Roberts in that movie with John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones? They wrote so much about her fat suit, they could've used some ink on how the movie itself sucked.

ScottE. said...

It was an amazing movie. I really liked it. And the more I think of it, the more I like it.

THIS JUST IN: A special segment on Entertainment Tonight, or one of those other ass rotten shows....some pretty model puts on a fat suit and 'experiences' life. BULLSHIT!