Kinsey

Liam Neeson stars in 'Kinsey,' but Laura Linney walks away with the picture.

Linney plays Clara, a character who goes from bright young grad student to steady grandmother, and whose life transitions we accept every step of the way.

Don't get me wrong: Neeson is a fine Professor Kinsey, and at no point did I not buy him in the character. It's just that while his character had a more dramatic life than Linney's, hers had a richer inner life.

The movie itself is full of surprises. First, the supporting cast is absolutely first rate. I mean, look at this slate: Timothy Hutton, Peter Sarsgaard, Chris O'Donnel, Heather Goldenhersh (who plays a minor part well, as she did in 'The Merchant of Venice'), John Lithgow, Tim Curry (who doesn't ham it up, for a change), Oliver Platt, Dylan Baker, and Veronica Cartwright, among others. Second, I absolutely expected Curry to twirl his moustache and collude with Kinsey's boss to make life tough on our protagonist: didn't happen. Third, the movie deftly handles its own subject matter, finding an adult footing without veering into sensationalism.

Well done, Mr. Condon. I look forward to seeing your next film.

The Merchant of Venice

The toughest thing about staging 'The Merchant of Venice' is ending it on the right note. Our lovers have crushed the most compelling character in the piece, grinding him to dust until he's less then an afterthought. They then proceed to Portia's home, where they play cute romantic games, and the story wraps on a variation of "and they went off and had sex." It's as if Shakespeare set out to write a comedy, found himself in the middle of a tragedy, and felt compelled to wrestle the damn thing back onto comic territory, no matter what.

The Pacino 'Merchant of Venice' handles this ending better than any other production I've seen. It doesn't let the lovers (or Jessica, for that matter) off the hook. Rather, by juxtaposing their delight with Shylock's horror and Jessica's remorse, it convicts them of a heartlessness which we can only infer from the text.

The production values, as one would expect, are world-class, and the actors nail their roles. Fiennes and Irons are brilliant and, though the homoerotic implications of their relationship threaten to overwhelm the piece, said implications pay off wonderfully as we see Lynn Collins's Portia wondering just what she's gotten herself into. Then there's Pacino. Though we can never get past the fact that it's Pacino-as-Shylock, he brings profound sadness and humanity to his role. People love to hammer movie stars when they take on Shakespeare, but I think the man acquitted himself well. (Personally, I'd love to see his take on Richard III - I think he'd knock it out of the park!)

I had high hopes for 'The Merchant of Venice,' and I was not disappointed. It's well worth the rental.