"Kinsey" DVD

"Kinsey" played well on the small screen and made it easier for me to forgive the movie's flaws. As far as I'm concerned, the DVD is worth renting for the feature film alone. The DVD is a two-disc set, loaded with bonus materials, including a feature-length audio commentary by writer/director Bill Condon. Alfred Kinsey is controversial even today, and I have to warn you that how you react to this film might depend to some degree on your own attitudes towards sexuality and society.

Pros

Cons

Liam Neeson stars in this biopic about American zoologist Alfred Kinsey, whose studies of human sexuality made him famous. The film chronicles Kinsey's career at Indiana University, including his early work with gall wasps and his controversial research into human sexual behavior. Also, the movie delves into his relationship with his puritanical father, his marriage, and his exploration of his own sexuality.

Although the script's didacticism made the movie feel forced, I thought Neeson's portrayal of Kinsey brought this complex man to life. Also, Laura Linney is superb as Kinsey's wife, and the story of the Kinseys' marriage makes an interesting emotional counterpoint to the film's emphasis on the scientific aspects of sexuality.

"Kinsey" played well on the small screen and made it easier for me to forgive the movie's flaws. But I was impressed by the excellent picture quality of the DVD, and the sound quality was also very good.

As far as I'm concerned, the DVD is worth renting for the feature film alone. However, the DVD is a two-disc set, loaded with bonus materials, including a feature-length audio commentary by writer/director Bill Condon, a long making-of documentary, 20 deleted scenes with optional director commentary, and more.

Alfred Kinsey is controversial even today, and I have to warn you that how you react to this film might depend to some degree on your own attitudes towards sexuality and society.