Welcome to Screen Gems, Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a rewatch.our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a rewatch.
The Untold Retold: Kinsey
Oscar-winner Bill Condon followed up his masterpiece Gods and Monsters with this magnificent biopic of sex researcher Alfred Kinsey. Kinsey’s name has a way of getting omitted from history books because of his field of study. Fortunately, Kinsey aims to remedy that injustice, chronicling the titular scientist’s study of sexual histories in human beings.
Liam Neeson gives one of his best performances in the lead role, making Kinsey into a man as interested in exploring his own sexuality as much as that of the rest of the human race. Laura Linney matches him step by step as Kinsey’s wife and fellow researcher, Clara, a woman frustrated by her husband’s obsession, but who believes in his work. Peter Sarsgaard plays Kinsey’s longtime research partner Clyde Martin, a man who develops more than an academic interest in his boss.
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Kinsey uses the sexual nature of Alfred Kinsey’s work as a prism with which to view human bonds: the film confronts issues of fidelity, monogamy, censorship and sexual shaming. The film doesn’t shy away from graphic sexual content–nor should it, given its subject–though its real power comes from its examination of shame surrounding sexuality (especially of the gay variety), and how fear and self-loathing easily spread to create systemic prejudice and social taboos that only do harm. Few movies preoccupy themselves with sex the way Kinsey does; even fewer celebrate the beautiful mystery of sex with such tenderness.
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tjack47
I’ve seen it twice. I highly recommend it just for the acting.
WRJMitchell
I watched ‘Kinsey’ movie… Very Good movie…
barryaksarben
this is a very good movie.
Kieran
Maybe they’ll show it someday on “the gay channel” Logo, in between re-runs of Golden Girls and Mama’s family?
Kevan1
LOL! So true.
Cam
I knew that all of the executives at “LOGO” were straight when they thought showing 5 episodes a day of “16 and Pregnant” was relevant to their audience.
Claude
#MakeLogoGayAgain
radiooutmike
I remember paying extra to Comcast to get Logo my channel line up. I was severely disappointed when I looked at their programming block.
Dick Gozinia
I would watch it again if it was free, but not for $3.99.
hansniemeijer
it IS worth spending just four bucks watching this great movie
Kevan1
I must disagree with the opening paragraph. Kinsey’s studies are well known in the annuals of history. So are his anal histories. Sorry, bad joke.
bachy
Kinsey’s work helped me to understand that same-sex love, affection, bonding, admiration and fascination are part of everyone’s experience. Only the degree to which such feelings are eroticized varies – and probably not by a whole helluva lot.
Jim
Gay history through cinema. Give me a break!!
I remember a HS teacher who said that Hollywood was more hysterical than historical.
Cam
So what’s your point?
Preppy1000
Saw it twice when it came out. Loved it.
Iona Lexiss
I dated KInsey…
joeboyle49
YES I SAW IT AND I WATCHED IT TWICE. IT WAS GOOD.
Spidey137
The trio of lead performances elevate this above boring bio pic. Classic Sarsgaard (never shy) frontal and butt scenes makes it even better.