Venus (2006)

I came to this film with high expectations, having been led to believe that it dealt bravely and honestly with sexuality amongst old people. I found the acting excellent. However, the behaviour of the people in the film was frequently tawdry and exploitative. If a younger man had been shown behaving as did the character played by Peter O'Toole he would, I believe, have been recognised as the moral incompetent that he is. To expect us to sympathise with this, simply because he is old is a form of inverse ageism. The same applied to the responses of the so-called "friends" who, when he needed assistance when he was ill, were noticeable for their unwillingness to help. Again, these responses are not rendered acceptable because of the age of the characters concerned. If, on the other hand, we were supposed to find them all uncongenial - why bother at all? The transformation of the young women I found completely implausible on the evidence we were given. Disappointing.

Fmovies: And so reflects 70-something Maurice (Peter O'Toole) about the importance of beauty and searching for love as the only significant goals as life races by him. VENUS is a small miracle of a film written by Hanif Kureishi ('My Beautiful Laundrette') about the isolation and inner devastation of growing old in today's society. What could have been a morose, whining diatribe about the cruelties of advancing age and the manner in which we treat the elderly becomes a window into the psyche of older characters whose lives have meant something - if to no one else but themselves.

Three old thespian friends and colleagues (Maurice, Ian - Leslie Phillips and Donald - Richard Griffiths) spend there days reading obits, sharing pills and recalling the days of their acting glory. Maurice has not given up as he still performs as old characters in films and continues his lifelong libidinous longing for beautiful females. Ian fears death from hypertension and agrees to have his niece's daughter Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) move in to care for him. But the coarse, crude, and rude Jessie drives Ian to distraction and Ian seeks Maurice's aid in diverting Jessie's time to activity away from her home care service. The story thus opens the way to examine the needs and desires of both Maurice and the very young Jessie, each finding a sense of solace, friendship and a new kind of love despite their extreme age differences. Maurice continues to visit his ex-wife Valerie (Vanessa Redgrave) whenever he needs a connection to reality: these encounters speak more about the continuity of love once splintered than in almost any prior film.

In a story that could have focused on aged lechery and youthful opportunism this film, as directed by Roger Michell, instead elects to find the path toward beauty that underlines the needs of disparate people. The performance by O'Toole is staggeringly superb and the remainder of this small cast (Redgrave, Griffiths, Phillips - all long admired, seasoned pros - and Whittaker, a very promising new face) is top notch. The writing and directing and acting in this film is at the peak of excellence - there really isn't anything else. Grady Harp

Peter O'Toole is considered by many to be the "best actor in the world". And he has been for many decades. Those aren't my words but the words of Anthony Hopkins. Russell Crowe and Martin Scorsese agree. And he is fantastic in this small country independent film. I have seen all of his films and this one along with The Manor ranks among the best. In both, he exhibits the phenomenal wit and timing of a master and knows more about delivering a punchline than anyone I have ever seen. And just listening to his booming voice always keeps everyone honest. In both this film and THE MANOR in which he plays Greta Scacchi's husband, he is a magnet for your attention and your eyes. He totally dominates.

WoolyMonkey

Venus fmovies. Peter O'Toole is one of my favorite actors and it's always been sad for me to think of him dying off without an Oscar. He's given great performances and my favorite is The Lion in Winter (for which he SHOULD have won). However, Venus has proved to be what is possibly his last chance at getting an Oscar. He is just wonderful in all his scenes. The film is very lovely, sweet, charming and funny. Jodie Whittaker is just lovely and a very talented upstart. However, if any other character deserved an Oscar, or a nomination, it is the great Vanessa Redgrave who has stood firm in being a great talent and hasn't even started to fade away like O'Toole almost did. Her scenes aren't that big but she leaves a lasting impression. She still looks beautiful at 69 and she still shows the same display of emotion as she did in her star making breakout role as Rosalind in "As You Like It" to her recent released film "The White Countess". She and O'Toole play off each other very well. This is a wonderful first film for them. See the movie, I know you'll enjoy it.

A feel good movie that still leaves you feeling like you need a shower. Some uncomfortable scenes and a few directorial flaws (a speedy montage during a trip to the shore is particularly out of place) don't detract from solid acting from the cast as a whole and a brilliant performance by Peter O'Toole in particular. This strange take on the Pygmalion story is well supported by Jodie Wittaker as the title character and Leslie Phillips as the friend that everyone needs to either accompany you or drive you to the grave. But it is O'Toole's performance that makes this movie worth the price of a ticket. If he doesn't finally win an Oscar for this I might have to start fund-raising to buy him one.

More Mother than Notting Hill. Peter O'Toole is brilliant -- creepy, lovable, objectionable and yet so vulnerable as the aging, forgotten actor in this "kind of makes you squirm in your seat" love/obsession story. I viewed it at the closing night of the Chicago International Film Festival. The tone and feel of the film places you squarely in Maurice's (O'Toole) gloomy, last chapter of life journey as well as Jesse's (Jodie Whittiker) bratty, just getting her own life started journey. Outstanding cinematography, score and music. Wonderfully haunting! V. Redgrave is terrific and beautiful. Oscar's all around for this funny, sometimes creepy, real look at two people finding each other at the most unexpected time in their lives.