Liam Neeson looks ridiculous as a young man. During some flashbacks in Kinsey, with some poofy hair and rosy cheeks, Neeson plays a thirty-something doing graduate work. The effect is as silly as the longhaired, young Ben Stiller in There’s Something About Mary.
There. That’s it. That’s my one nit-pick with Kinsey. Everything else about this biopic is extraordinary. Bill Condon, writer and director, presents us a challenging, nuanced, unflinching look at one of history’s most controversial scientists, or the in-quotes “scientists,” depending on who you ask.
College seniors who took “Sex Ed”—the world’s most popular blow-off course—know that Alfred Kinsey was the pioneer of sex research, a maverick, the first to approach human sexuality with any scientific rigor. In 1948, Kinsey shocked an apple-pie America with his landmark “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male,” which revealed that certain tendencies are far more prevalent than expected, including homosexuality [gasp!] , masturbation [eeewwww!], pre-marital and extra-marital sex [C’mon. How could this have been a surprise?].
But Kinsey is far more than a dry exposition of the man’s studies. And it’s not a juicy shocker, either. Rather, Condon masterfully balances the external story of Kinsey’s research with the internal dynamics of his own insecurities. With refreshing subtlety, Condon links Kinsey’s profession with his inner-demons, hinting at the psychological forces that drive him to excel.
Kinsey begins, appropriately enough, with an interview. At the height of his powers, Kinsey is training his team of researchers (which includes an all-star lineup of Chris O’Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, and Timothy Hutton), teaching them the art of sex-interviews. “Never appear judgmental.” “Smile.” Through this first interview, where Kinsey himself is the subject, we learn about the man’s repressed childhood and his early feelings of shame.
Raised by a puritanical father (John Lithgow), young Kinsey is taught to believe the kind of claptrap that’s spouted in “The O’Reilly Factor for Kids.” Masturbation is evil and injurious. Sex will summon the devil. Ah, good ‘ol fashioned family values. Coupled with this fear of sex, though, is an unchecked curiosity. As a wide-eyed boy, Kinsey delights in learning about moths, insects, and the wildlife found in a forest. This sounds awfully cheesy on paper, but credit Condon’s script—and the lush brushstrokes of cinematographer Frederick Elmes—for adding poignancy.
As Kinsey grows older, he rejects his father’s desire for him to become an engineer, instead focusing his energies on biology. Through meticulous and exhaustive research, Kinsey becomes the world’s foremost expert on . . . gall wasps. He publishes a book on the subject, to the world’s vast indifference.
Around this time, Kinsey becomes enchanted with one of his students, Clara (the always dependable Laura Linney), who he courts and marries. Their one sex-scene is so human, so uncomfortable, ...
