A Beautiful Mind meets The People vs. Larry Flynt

Kinsey is one of the best films of the year. Bill Condon's superb screenplay manages to capture science, psychology, sex, love, humor, academic life, social movements, and two touching family stories while never being anything less than entertaining. The marvelously structured screenplay manages to show how Kinsey's controversial work affected the society at large, while simultaneously showing how the research affects him and the three men who were his assistants (as well as their wives). This may be the most politically on point film of the year. Through it all Condon keeps the characters interesting and engaging. His shadings of Kinsey's psychological issues are subtle, but always present - turning a seemingly standoffish character into an three-dimensional person. This is an entertaining film; a movie that utlilizes classical story structure and obeys it just enough to keep the viewer with the characters wherever he takes them. The cast is uniformly excellent with Peter Sarsgaard (is there anything he can't do), Laura Linney, and Liam Neeson deserving of year end praise. Condon has taken controversial subject matter, and fashioned a film that addresses the controversy without alienating anyone. If only our politicians had the same skill. Last year Gus Van Sant's Elephant, though not seen nearly enough, provided a starting point for people who wanted to have a reasonable discussion about school (and by extension cultural) violence. This film does the same for sex education, and it also works as a worthy example of Hollywood entertainment.