KINSEY

Director: Bill Condon (The Others, Gods and Monsters)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Chris O'Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard

Here we have a sort of a sexed-up "A Beautiful Mind", with it's weirdo professor making it big. It turns out that that can be quite a lot, though. Although not as compelling as Russell Crowe's schitzophrenic professor in Beautiful Mind, Liam Neeson as the sex researcher Alfred Kinsey is interesting if not as introspective. Neeson very much loses himself in the role - there is no more that you can ask. His performance was borderline Oscar-worthy. If this is a good year, no nod. If a weak one, Liam my find himself a nomination. The film itself is also interesting, although it left me feeling somewhat short-shrifted. Sex is such an overwhelming topic, that I simply expected more than I got from this film. Apparently, sex is good and fun, Puritanism is bad, and no one should get hurt due to it. However, defining those gray borders where pain supercedes pleasure is a little too difficult for this film. Kinsey homosexually cheats on his wife, and after crying a bit, we find out how happy she is when the same man lays her (with her husband's knowledge). Apparently, free love must be the answer to mankind's sexual morass, huh? Yep, that is a lame argument if ever there was. Dispite this, there was still much to enjoy and a fair amount to learn. Laura Linney also gave an excellent portrait of Kinsey's wife. Her performance was nearly the match of Neeson's.

Standouts: Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, acting in general.
Blowouts: Some silly thematic material. Free love anyone?

Grade: B+