The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

The Capote Tapes

The Capote Tapes | Movie review
25 January 2021
BP Flanagan
Avatar
BP Flanagan
25 January 2021

Movie and show review

BP Flanagan

The Capote Tapes

★★★★★

Release date

29th January 2021

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsite

Hollywood has always been fascinated by glimmering portraits of prominent, gay 20th-century figures. Hence, movies are often drawn to Truman Capote – a New York socialite with recognisable stature and voice, whose books – including Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood – became classic 60s films. The mid-2000s saw a pair of biographical flicks on the novelist released. In Capote, Phillip Seymour Hoffman utilised his creepy persona to play the writer and won his only oscar doing it. 

Directed by Ebs Burnough, The Capote Tapes – a new documentary biography – takes a straightforward and enlightened look at the eponymous man. It is mostly assembled of archival footage accompanied by talking heads who guide the story. The feature is reverential, bowing to the individual as extraordinary and never working to break down myths about his way with words, influence or impact on sexual politics of his era. Fair enough, Capote remains a literary giant. But by laying the table for revelation, the film provides none. 

The Capote Tapes is ostensibly a documentary search for Answered Prayers, the unfinished novel the writer worked on for years. Contemporary novelist Jay McInerney sets the book up one hour into the movie, comparing it to Proust’s engagement with memory and modern anxiety. By the time the audience has been introduced to the myriad ways its publication could have cooked up controversy, it is time to move on to the next section of Capote’s glittering life. 

Burnough has only one film credit, and it’s this. How he got access to stars like Colm Tóibín and Candice Bergen is a mystery, as the picture is quite haphazardly put together. Perhaps he made connections during his time working in the Obama administration as the former First Lady’s senior advisor. The Capote Tapes whips through the multi-faceted life of one of the 20th-century’s cultural figureheads, but leaves the viewer yearning for discovery. One gets the impression this was a passion project. As such, it is polite and deferential, unlike Truman Capote.

★★★★★

Ben Flanagan

The Capote Tapes is released digitally on demand on 29th January 2021.

Watch the trailer for The Capote Tapes here:

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

The United States Vs Billie Holiday

★★★★★
BP Flanagan
Read More

The Sinners

★★★★★
Emma Kiely
Read More

What Lies Below

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

Wrong Turn

★★★★★
Musanna Ahmed
Read More

Ginny & Georgia

★★★★★
Emma Kiely
Read More

Ayouni

★★★★★
Jacob Kennedy
Read More

Blush

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

The Trial of the Chicago 7

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

Pelé

★★★★★
Jake Cudsi
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

BP Flanagan

The Capote Tapes

★★★★★

Release date

29th January 2021

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsite

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Smith & Burrows – Only Smith & Burrows Is Good Enough
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Celebrate Margarita Day at home with these simple yet sophisticated cocktails
    Food & Drinks
  • Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Hunter and the Dog Star
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Wrong Turn
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Creation Stories
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • Minari
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • Gatsby at Cadogan Hall: An interview with Jodie Steele and Ross William Wild
    Theatre
  • The United States Vs Billie Holiday
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Berlinale 2021: Top picks to look out for in the festival’s 71st year
    Berlinale
  • Minari
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • West End Musical Drive In Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Hymn at the Almeida Theatre Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Bradford – Bright Hours
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Pelé
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Identifying Features | Movie review
The Rental | Movie review