Controversial Kinsey (Kinsey (2005) (DVD))

Name: ickkate

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Product:	Kinsey (2005) (DVD)
Date:	04/04/05 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Kinsey is portrayed as a complex individual with faults, The underlying tension between three key characters, Peter Sarsgaard is definitely one to watch

Disadvantages: Some difficult areas feel as if they've been glossed over, Two hours cannot sum up a man's life and work, Chris O'Donnell and Paul Gebhard received higher billing than Sarsgaard

More than fifty years after the publication of his two studies on sex Alfred C Kinsey is still able to cause controversy. Conservative Christian groups in America picketed writer-director Bill Condon's "Kinsey" on its release; ridiculously laying the blame for sexually transmitted diseases and pornography at his door. Kinsey simply documented what he found in his studies, and with it removed guilt and shame from a large number of people's lives. Although ideas of oral sex reducing fertility or masturbation causing epileptic attacks are laughable today, Condon appears to have chosen to concentrate on the more relevant issue of gender and sexuality. Apparently at the time of the books' publication the majority of the furore centred around what exactly heterosexuals were getting up to and how frequently, but this film seems to draw on the legacy Kinsey gave to homosexual men and women - especially through the final individual interviewed for Kinsey's research.

As a biography "Kinsey" is a particularly effective in the way in which it delivers Prog (as Alfred Kinsey was known to his close friends) as a complex individual who made errors, had faults, and even seemed to blindly miss the obvious, whilst still being an inspirational individual whose quest for knowledge led him to profoundly influence how society thinks about sex. Unsurprisingly, if you consider his balanced portrayal of Oscar Schindler, Liam Neeson is perfect in the role.

As a young man Neeson is completely believable as the bookish, loner who uses country hikes as a way to escape the oppressive influence of his puritanical father (forcefully played by John Lithgow). To the point that when his potential wife, Clara McMillen (Laura Linney) asks for time to consider his proposal on the grounds that he is too "churchy" - a term which encompasses him admirably. But as marriage and with it sex enter the equation Neeson allows Kinsey to slowly mature in to a non-judgemental, strong, and confident man who is consumed by his desire to study an area of biology woefully devoid of research. Even in the moments where Kinsey is forced to consider his own sexuality, Neeson appears to display just the right amount of shyness and confusion.

As his wife, Laura Linney is also brilliant. Kinsey was attracted by an intelligent and attractive woman who he wanted as his equal. Although "Mac", as Kinsey called her, is portrayed as a housewife she has the opportunity to act as a sounding board for him. Throughout the script she is carefree and has deeply emotional moments that never seem overblown. In fact, from her we are given the opportunity understand some of Kinsey's weaknesses.

It is possibly surprisingly to find that in a film whose focus is sex, the relationship between Mac and Prog is particularly touching. Without declarations of undying love or sickening sentimentality Bill Condon's script allows the audience to be under no illusion that they are in love, and both Linney and Neeson highlight that through a familiarity and affection that is particularly disarming.

Although Chris O'Donnell and Paul Gebhard receive higher billing as two of Kinsey's researchers, it is Peter Sarsgaard as Clyde who commands attention on screen. You can see why Kinsey and Clara would both be drawn to this attractive young man, who at various points creates an underlying and unspoken tension with both and whose confrontation with Kinsey highlights one of the weaknesses in Kinsey's research - it's hard not to let sex confuse love. For me this subtle and engaging performance makes him an actor I'm certainly going to watch out for in the future.

Not only has Bill Condon coaxed some interesting performances from his actors, but he has also created a script that is witty, entertaining and filled with authentic emotional moments. We learn about Kinsey through his preparation of his interviewers for the infamous Kinsey questionnaires. As he gets them to interview him we are introduced to his earlier life through flashbacks which continue throughout the film giving it depth and maintaining interest. Interviews with various research subjects also allow snappy and entertaining dialogue to break up what could easily have become a dense and serious film.

Unfortunately the film is not without fault though as some difficult areas do seem to be glossed over. For instance, at one stage Kinsey comes out with a comment about sexual acceptance that suggests an acceptance of paedophilia - although he claims later he was misquoted, the sentence does seem hard to justify. An attempt is made through an interview subject to clarify the matter, where Kinsey states that no one should be forced to do anything against their will; but it all feels a little too hurried to draw a line under the situation. At just over two hours, the film could have been extended, but at the same time I wonder if much more would have been achieved. After all, can two hours really sum up a man's life and his work?

Where "Kinsey" succeeds as a biography is that you walk out of the cinema feeling inspired to find out more, yet aware of the man and the faults in his character and in his approach to his work. In highlighting these through an entertaining film with some excellent performances Bill Condon has created a film that is a welcome reminder of Kinsey's legacy. And, unlike those protesting Americans, I'm thankful for it; without Kinsey's demystification of sex we would probably have a higher number of sexually confused and guilt-ridden individuals, and a higher incidence of sexually transmitted diseases due to people's ignorance and concern about taboos.

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It probably should be mentioned that Kinsey includes full frontal nudity and images of a sexual nature, but that all of the images appear in a dispassionate manner. I know that this may still put some people of seeing the film though.

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