“Kinsey” Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Alfred Kinsey was the father of sexual research in this country and the film “Kinsey” certainly gives him his due. But for a film that talks about sex almost constantly the movie is as stimulating as dissecting frogs. The words, the images, the relationships all seem to be clinical, and “Kinsey” becomes more of an informational film than an entertaining one.
Kinsey is portrayed by Liam Neeson with Laura Linney taking the role of his wife Clara. These two actors give the film their best effort but even two as brilliant as they can’t overcome the sluggish direction provided by Bill (“Gods and Monsters”) Condon and the tediousness of his script.
The film follows Kinsey’s life from his childhood into old age. His father (John Lithgow) is a tyrannical zealot who badgers Alfred from day one about following in his footsteps as a minister. Alfred chooses Botany and later sexual research. That really throws his father for a loop.
To get all the questionnaires done which his research requires Kinsey selects three assistants, played by Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Hutton and Chris O’Donnell. Clyde Martin (Sarsgaard) is bi-sexual and soon lures Kinsey into a gay relationship. Then he also has an affair with Clara who seemingly gets involved out of spite. It is difficult to understand the true relationship between Alfred and Clara since they are so open to other people.
Neeson is very good as Kinsey but he is too old to be convincing in the younger years of his life. With all the sniping at Kevin Spacey for playing Bobby Darin in his biopic about the singer, you would think someone would have mentioned Neeson is much too old to play a college student.
The film is rated R for profanity and nudity.
The movie is good at showing how Kinsey sought to enlighten America about sexual habits and statistics. Still as entertainment it is slow going from beginning to end. Kinsey wasn’t dynamic and the movie about him isn’t either.
I scored “Kinsey a clinical 4 out of 10.
