Kinsey (2004)
Movie: 'Kinsey'
Genre: Biographical
Rating: 7.5/10
Top 5 lessons learned from 'Kinsey':
1. That Al Kinsey had a penis large enough to catch people off guard.
2. That Clara Kinsey may be the poster girl for co-dependant masochism.
3. That John Lithgow can still work his preacher skills as good as he ever did in 'Footloose' (1984). Folks, that's twenty years of perma-sealed preachery.
4. That Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, and their make-up artists did an awesome job aging their characters twenty-odd years in two hours. Their adolescent beer-runs must have been absolutely spectacular. "Give me a keg of beer... and these."
5. To Peter Sarsgaard, 'Garden State', 'Kinsey'... You're on your way to the world of appreciation. Your complimentary tote bag was shipped yesterday.
---
This movie was well made, but there was no way it would have been made if 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001) didn't recieve the critical praise and oscars that it did. I don't pretend to know how the Hollywood executive machine works, but, c'mon?... Saving Private Ryan ('98)/The Thin Red Line ('98); Life is Beautiful ('97)/Jacob the Liar ('99); Platoon ('86)/Full Metal Jacket ('87); Armaggedon ('98)/Deep Impact ('98)... the last couple weren't exactly Oscar bound, but there's heaps more of those (Dante's Peak/Volcano, etc.)
So, while 'Beautiful Mind' was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 4, 'Kinsey' was nominated for 1 and won... 1. That seems just about fair to me.
The studio wanted another 'Beautiful Mind', only different, so how about adding a couple'a dirty pillows and a wobbly willy? Sex! The performances were solid throughout, but the subject material itself... Why?
So, Kinsey was some dude who got tired of studying the same flippin' species of wasp for over a decade. A Scientist in his thirties who had never gotten jiggy with a gal. That guy was backed up like a fire hydrant. When he finally got his swerve on with Laura Linney (much respect), he suddenly got tired of bugs and got all up in the hootinanny.
Kinsey was no where near as interesting as Russel Crowe's 'John Nash'. The former was bat-shit insane and a mathamatical genius. Kinsey was just this obsessive nutjob who, nowadays, would be medicated just enough to not be interesting. The movie left me thinking that he was just in the right place at the right time. He's no hero enough to be celebrated. Dr. Ruth would've been better, but then it couldn't have been a period piece a'la 'Beautiful Mind'.
In retrospect the script felt a little piecemeal. But it wasn't a bad movie, it was well acted. And, again, over twenty years in 2 hours, gold star.
I'll wrap it up by saying that you do see Peter Sarsgaard's old fella, whether you're seeking it or running away, it's in there.
Genre: Biographical
Rating: 7.5/10
Top 5 lessons learned from 'Kinsey':
1. That Al Kinsey had a penis large enough to catch people off guard.
2. That Clara Kinsey may be the poster girl for co-dependant masochism.
3. That John Lithgow can still work his preacher skills as good as he ever did in 'Footloose' (1984). Folks, that's twenty years of perma-sealed preachery.
4. That Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, and their make-up artists did an awesome job aging their characters twenty-odd years in two hours. Their adolescent beer-runs must have been absolutely spectacular. "Give me a keg of beer... and these."
5. To Peter Sarsgaard, 'Garden State', 'Kinsey'... You're on your way to the world of appreciation. Your complimentary tote bag was shipped yesterday.
---
This movie was well made, but there was no way it would have been made if 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001) didn't recieve the critical praise and oscars that it did. I don't pretend to know how the Hollywood executive machine works, but, c'mon?... Saving Private Ryan ('98)/The Thin Red Line ('98); Life is Beautiful ('97)/Jacob the Liar ('99); Platoon ('86)/Full Metal Jacket ('87); Armaggedon ('98)/Deep Impact ('98)... the last couple weren't exactly Oscar bound, but there's heaps more of those (Dante's Peak/Volcano, etc.)
So, while 'Beautiful Mind' was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 4, 'Kinsey' was nominated for 1 and won... 1. That seems just about fair to me.
The studio wanted another 'Beautiful Mind', only different, so how about adding a couple'a dirty pillows and a wobbly willy? Sex! The performances were solid throughout, but the subject material itself... Why?
So, Kinsey was some dude who got tired of studying the same flippin' species of wasp for over a decade. A Scientist in his thirties who had never gotten jiggy with a gal. That guy was backed up like a fire hydrant. When he finally got his swerve on with Laura Linney (much respect), he suddenly got tired of bugs and got all up in the hootinanny.
Kinsey was no where near as interesting as Russel Crowe's 'John Nash'. The former was bat-shit insane and a mathamatical genius. Kinsey was just this obsessive nutjob who, nowadays, would be medicated just enough to not be interesting. The movie left me thinking that he was just in the right place at the right time. He's no hero enough to be celebrated. Dr. Ruth would've been better, but then it couldn't have been a period piece a'la 'Beautiful Mind'.
In retrospect the script felt a little piecemeal. But it wasn't a bad movie, it was well acted. And, again, over twenty years in 2 hours, gold star.
I'll wrap it up by saying that you do see Peter Sarsgaard's old fella, whether you're seeking it or running away, it's in there.
posted by Kong at
10:23 AM
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