Review of Kinsey (2004) by Jordan T — 16 Apr 2009

Strange bunch of movies, yes? With most of my spring break homework done, I've finally gotten around to watching some movies, so here is a quick rundown.

I had no intention of seeing [i]Hannah Montana The Movie[/i] at all, despite my crush on Miley Cyrus (yes, I admit it) and one-time scheme to take her to prom, but I was dragged into the theater by a friend. Well, not exactly dragged, but I wasn't completely thrilled at the prospect. Imagine my surprise at what an enjoyable time I had. The show is goofy and fun, and the movie lives up to the standard while not feeling unjustified on being brought to the big screen.

The obvious story lends itself well to the silver screen, and luckily, the film focuses almost exclusively on Miley/Hannah and her dad, instead of on some of the lesser, annoying characters, like her brother, who made me want to burn the screen ever second he was on it. Thank God that Miley is so supremely charming and often hilarious, and she has musical skills, to boot. None of the songs fall flat, and a couple really stand out: the superbly catchy "Hoedown Throwdown" and the touching, pretty "Butterfly Fly Away" (so corny, I know).

Lucas Till makes a fine love interest for Miley; he plays a pretty stereotypical part with enough extra stuff to make his character very likable. Not faring so well are the awkward guest appearances by the Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift. On a TV show, seeing the Rock or someone is cool, but here, it's unnecessary. Surprisingly good movie overall.

[i]Memento[/i] is freaking amazing. There are not enough words of praise for me to heap on it, but one point must be driven home: it is an absolute triumph of structure. Working backwards not only provides suspense in a new way and provides questions and answers in generous, equal doses: it makes the whole movie a reflection of the protagonist. It's like our memories are erased so we can't remember what caused the scene we're presently watching. It's a brilliant ride of fill-in-the-blank with lots of intrigue and twists. The performances are awesome all around, and of course, with Christopher Nolan at the helm, you know that it's well-directed.

I know that [i]Memento[/i] is a movie I will revisit again and again, and I definitely want to buy the screenplay, as well. It is fantastic in every way, wonderfully written.

[i]State of Play[/i] is the second great twisty-turner of the year, and also the second written (at least partially) by Tony Gilroy (the other is, of course, [i]Duplicity[/i]). A tight, tense screenplay and an impressive ensemble make this political/corporate thriller a gripping ride. I went to the theater today with a lot on my mind, hoping to get a capable distraction, and this movie delivered in fine style. Every performance was great, and Rachel McAdams, as always, proved to be unmatchable eye candy. The twists are layered well and make sense within the movie's reality, and everything is tied up nicely by the time the credits roll.

[i]Kinsey[/i] is a pretty typical biopic, though of a much more sexually explicit nature, obviously. The movie does a good job of showing Kinsey's early life and its influence on his study, and the study makes for some very interesting scenes; the interviews with Kinsey himself are very entertaining and lovely in black-and-white. Liam Neeson delivers a good performance as the titular professor, and Laura Linney is wonderful (as always) as his devoted wife. It's fun to see sex explored so broadly in the film; I think Kinsey would be proud.