Hold the 'Fone

I'll leave you with my thoughts on a few "second-tier" flicks that may not have gotten as much press as say, 'All the King's Men,' 'Borat' or 'Death of a President,' but are releases that you'll surely hear about as they hit theaters this fall.

'Infamous' -- AKA "the other Capote movie" -- has the misfortune of debuting at the festival a year after Philip Seymour Hoffman knocked our Argyles off on his way to an Oscar win in 2005's 'Capote.' Since the film essentially tells the same story (about Truman Capote's trying four-year journey penning 'In Cold Blood'), in really the same fashion, its impossible not to continuously draw comparisons as you watch.

The major differences? 'Infamous' is a helluva lot funnier, at least for the first half-hour. And Toby Jones, filling massive shoes for such a vertically challenged man, plays the author in an almost cartoonish manner (though some could argue more accurately). It might be his height, but I felt a strange temptation to squeeze his cheeks every time the effeminate little guy made a self-deprecating joke about his gayness.

The film pays more mind to Capote the New York socialite/gossip queen, featuring Sandra Bullock (Harper Lee), Sigourney Weaver, Hope Davis and Isabella Rossellini as his gal pals. A dark-haired Daniel Craig (happy, Bond traditionalists?) plays Perry Smith, the killer whom 'Capote' 1.0 only hinted the author fell in love with. Here they show man-on-man smooching. And as for Jones, he's proficient in his portrayal, but still only Vince Carter to Hoffman's Michael Jordan.

'Little Children' – AKA Patrick Wilson's "other" 2006 film about pedophilia (after 'Hard Candy') – is Todd Field's much anticipated follow-up to 2001's 'In the Bedroom.' Like fellow Todds Solondz and Haynes, Field likes to paint a satirical portrait of Suburbia, USA, and 'Children' is actually funny, not nearly as gouge-your-eyes-out-depressing as his last effort.

Of course it also involves pedophilia -- or rather hysteria over a convicted sex offender moving into a quiet neighborhood -- so it isn't that funny. The dramedy's main premise focuses on a stay-at-home-mom (Kate Winslet) and a stay-at-home-dad (Wilson) stuck in crappy marriages who proceed to get… it… on… But as they attempt to conceal their extramarital activities, the neighbors taunt the newly arrived ex-con. He's played by Jackie Early Haley, the former 'Bad News Bears' child star. Haley's deep blue eyes still evoke his 'Bears' character Kelly Leak, though now he looks more like Clint Howard. 'Children' is his comeback attempt, and it's an affecting and surprising picture folks will be talking about.

Winslet's 'All the King's Men' co-star Jude Law re-teams with director Anthony Minghella (after 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and 'Cold Mountain') for 'Breaking and Entering,' an involving but ultimately just decent London-set drama about what to do when teenage thugs repeatedly break into your office and rob you blind.

Law's character reacts by following one of said thugs back to his apartment – sorry, flat – and instead of calling the police, begins a torrid affair with his Bosnian refugee of a MILF (Juliette Binoche). As well as the film is made, it's tough to appreciate when you just can't buy the central character's actions. And as much as I like Law, the 'Closer' star might wanna shy away from any more movies about adultery.

POST: What do you think of these movies?