The film then moves into its second act with Capote worming his way into the murderer's confidence. Though Hickock is happy to talk, The author is more interested in the testimony of the sulking Perry Smith (played here by the new James Bond, Daniel Craig). His courtship of killer Smith plays out bold and erotic and which transform Infamous into, of all things, a doomed romance. Capote hopes Hickock and Smith will exhaust their appeals and be hanged, so he can finish his book.

Infamous finds clues about Capote in many different places: in his friendship with novelist Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock does a creditable Harper Lee), who's both more supportive of him and harder on him here than she was in "Capote". He works his way into the good graces of chief investigator Alvin Dewey (Jeff Daniels) and bonds with the accused murderer.

Toby Jones (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Capote) makes the part his own, seeing beyond Capote the charismatic dandy and manipulator to find a fragile man-child loved by many but in love with only one. It is Craig, however, who comes across as a chilling dark force, fully capable of murder, and his interactions with Capote have a more dangerous edge than they did in the previous film. It'll provide prime fodder for film students for years to come. - B.J.