This pair of indies currently has one thing in common: they’re both at 50% on the Tomatometer. The festival’s been buzzing about Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Oscar worthy performance in “Capote.” “Bubble” features director Steven Soderbergh’s return to his indie roots.


Capote
There's already Oscar buzz for Philip Seymour Hoffman's meticulous performance as "In Cold Blood" author Truman Capote. Covering the period of his life during the writing of his groundbreaking international best-seller, "Capote" also stars Oscar winner Chris Cooper and indie queen Catherine Keener. It starts off as a murder mystery as Capote and his research assistant, "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Nell Harper Lee (Keener), travel to the town of the murders to investigate the case. They are assisted by the reluctant Kansas Bureau of Investigations agent Alvin Dewey (Cooper). As the film progresses and Capote gets more infatuated with one of the imprisoned killers, Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.), it becomes more of a film about their intimate relationship. The film is generally sympathetic towards the killer and author. Whether or not the two are just manipulating each other is ambiguous. The acting by the acclaimed leads, especially Hoffman's, is top notch. Because the film follows Capote's research of the murders, it is also engrossing throughout. This is not one of those dull biographies that chronicles the subject's entire life, just a small defining period.

The film has divided the six critics who has reviewed it so far. It currently has a Tomatometer of 50%. While Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance is universally praised, some critics think the biopic is long and uninteresting.

Bubble
Steven Soderbergh’s film is a simple, yet effective drama. "Bubble" is about three coworkers in a doll factory. Martha (Debbie Doebereiner) is overweight, middle-aged, and lives with and takes care of her dad; Kyle (Dustin James Ashley) is a skinny young high school drop-out who lives with his mom; Rose (Misty Dawn Wilkins) is a young, attractive woman who also didn't finish high school, has a daughter, and is separated from her husband. The three factory workers don't make much and get pretty excited by a $50 bonus. A murder occurs and all three of their lives are thrown into a whirlwind. Shot in high-definition digital video, it takes a realistic approach by casting mostly unknowns, setting it in a small town with interiors that are not overly staged and utilizing natural lighting without the usual Hollywood gloss. There are also no fancy camera angles or distracting editing techniques. It looks more like a home video then a cinematic film. All of this makes the film feel very naturalistic, almost as if Soderbergh just took a chunk of these characters’ lives and presented it to us.

Again, the film currently has a mixed reaction from critics with only six reviews. Its Tomatometer is an even 50%, with critics either loving the low-key approach or hating it.

Other Toronto International Film Festival Articles:
• Toronto Film Fest: Tsui Hark’s “Seven Swords” starring Donnie Yen
• Toronto Film Fest: World Premiere of "The Myth" starring Jackie Chan
• Toronto Film Fest: Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride" starring Johnny Depp
• Toronto Film Fest: "Flightplan" with Jodie Foster and "Shopgirl" with Steve Martin
• Toronto Film Fest: "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit"