Kinsey in Context (Kinsey (2005) (DVD))

Name: ruth_cole

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Product:	Kinsey (2005) (DVD)
Date:	29/04/05 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: watchable, well written, excellent performances

Disadvantages: a little compromised

I hadn’t really intended to write a review about Kinsey, honestly because it’s sometimes hard to know what to say about films that you feel hit the middle ground comfortably and strive for, but don’t quite grasp, excellence. But there is actually quite a bit to say about this interesting, occasionally challenging and eminently watchable film.

Kinsey tells the story of famous sexual researcher Alfred Kinsey. In the 1950s, a time when oral sex was deemed something that would make you infertile, there were no existing studies of human sexual behaviour. What was “normal” simply wasn’t known; with the threat of social ostracism falling heavily on those who asked the questions, no-one had the information to provide the answers. A zoologist and keen collector of research, Kinsey interviewed literally thousands of men and women, and took their sexual histories to produce two books, one about sexual behaviour in the male, and a companion volume about the female. He went on to study such then taboo subjects as homosexuality (and indeed experimented himself) and still taboo subjects such as child molestation and bestiality. It’s a good thing, indeed, that Kinsey, as a film, pulls no punches about all the sides of the scientist’s research and personality; controversial statements about sex offenders and the actual levels of their offence are included.

Liam Neeson’s performance as the driven scientist, beset with his own childhood sexual demons and obsessed with garnering respect for his achievements, is a pleasure to watch. He marries a warm, almost cheeky, witty, vibrant scientist with an innocent, troubled, confused man. How close a depiction this is to the actual Kinsey, I couldn’t say, but it seems accurate to derive such a personality from such research. From his fumbled attempts at intercourse with his new wife, to his latter-day fame and mantle as “the sex doctor”, it’s a measured and involving performance. He is more than ably complemented by the luminous Laura Linney, who seems almost wasted here, perhaps because sometimes it seemed like there was another film to be made from her point of view. Both leads are very aware of both the comic and tragic implications in their relationship, and there are indeed a few laughs (could you have a film about sex without them?), particularly in a certain scene involving a ruler… Their chemistry is moving and comfortable, and the film can be comfortably pinned on their shoulders.

Adding to the mix is a veritable who’s who of past and present names. John Lithgow’s turn as Kinsey’s repressed, preacher-fanatic father is excellent, as is Peter Sarsgaard’s support as Kinsey’s protégé, Clyde Martin. His smooth delivery and matinee-idol looks, as well as his unsettlingly smug gaze, make him stand out amongst the team of Kinsey researches, including Timothy Hutton (his slicked hair and ‘tache reminiscent of the Jetsons’ Mr. Spaceley) and a perennially childlike Chris O’Donnell. Oliver Platt and Tim Curry pop up as portly academics to round off a solid cast.

Bill Condon’s (Gods and Monsters) direction is variable. As both writer and director, certainly he brings the best out of his cast, and there are some beautiful vistas and cinematography. But the repeated montages as Kinsey works his way through interviewees or publicity sprees become a little tiresome as they seem to exist just to speed the film up. The map of volunteers giving their sexual history looks a little like a music video and seems to break the beautifully constructed aura of 1950s America, which is enhanced by a solid score and use of a little Cole Porter. At any rate, its not too distracting, but a little disappointing, and rather typical of the one great problem biopics seem to suffer from on a regular basis.

Kinsey’s problem is that there’s a lifetime of fascinating detail to be mined in 2 hours. The attempt to cover all of Kinsey’s childhood in flashbacks during a sexual history interview makes the build-up to the predictable show-down with his father rather weaker than it should be – Kinsey begins to look a spoiled brat. Later on, the attempts to show that Kinsey didn’t quite shake off the legacy of his overbearing parent seem heavy-handed as a result. This would have made an excellent series, with more time being spent on both science and scientist. As it is, it’s a very workable compromise, but you can’t shake the fact that it IS a compromise. This is the whistle-stop tour, kids.

Sensibly, Kinsey doesn’t dwell unnecessarily on sexual activity, the sensational factor of which would have rather trampled over both the examination of Kinsey as a person and the central message that we’re all different and what is normal is whatever we’re doing (as long as no-one’s getting hurt). There is obviously some nudity and sexual content, but the rating indicates the mostly and certainly dispassionately medical nature (apart from the near-gratuitous full frontals of Peter Sarsgaard).

Really, whether you enjoy Kinsey or not depends on how much the fact that it’s a rushed, if solid, portrayal bothers you. It certainly has its excellent moments, but the central flaw of the film seems embodied in a particular volunteer candidate in the programme who attempts to do rather too much in 10 seconds… (kirstymack80, that one was for you :P)

Certificate 15
Runtime 118 minutes.

Alex
xxx

Summary: