Venus
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Movie Reviews of Venus
Movie Review: A Nuanced Turn by O'Toole Elevates a Platonic February-December Romance
Summary: 4 Stars
In what feels like valedictory work, Peter O'Toole gives a remarkably nuanced performance as famous septuagenarian actor and raconteur Maurice Russell in director Roger Michell's modest 2006 character study. It's impressive when an actor of O'Toole's stature can refer back to his own illustrious career within a semi-doppelganger character without calling undue attention to it. The actor is given an uncommonly rich role thanks to Hanif Kureishi's perceptive, often trenchant script, which sets up Maurice as a man who embraces his mortality but not his withering virility. His need for female attention is palpable but does not veer too adamantly toward prurient.
Through his bosom buddy and fellow thespian Ian, Maurice meets Jessie, Ian's niece's daughter, a sullen, disrespectful girl who steals all of Ian's alcohol while she acts as his caretaker. Ian is appalled by Jessie, but Maurice is intrigued enough by the girl to help her land a job as an art class model and teach her about the arts. However, his intentions are not altogether altruistic since he takes advantage of opportunities to caress her when given permission. This is where the film does its most delicate dance, as the potentially unsavory aspects are leavened by the sheer romanticism of Maurice's overtures safely insulated by his medically-induced impotence. The story only goes astray toward the end when Jessie's thuggish boyfriend enters the picture on the fringes and catalyzes the inevitable conclusion.
Beyond O'Toole's masterful work, there are sterling performances from Leslie Phillips as the easily flustered, high-maintenance Ian and especially a vanity-free Vanessa Redgrave, who almost matches O'Toole's impact in just three telling scenes as Maurice's resigned ex-wife Valerie. With her shopworn beauty and enervated manner, she is able to convey subtle shifts between anger and affection to a man who had long ago abandoned her and their children only to forgive him for his past sins. As Jessie, Jodie Whittaker holds her own against the veteran cast, and her portrayal of the character's steely resolve minimizes the shock value of the burgeoning relationship, though I have to admit the inconsistencies in the script's view of her character are a bit jarring within the story flow.
The loping pop-chill music of Corinne Bailey Rae dominates the soundtrack, and it suits the movie well. The 2007 DVD has the standard set of extras - a brief making-of featurette, "Venus: A Real Work of Art", which celebrates how celebrated actors like O'Toole, Phillips and Redgrave still have to face ageism when it comes to good roles; four deleted scenes of little value; and a rather dry commentary track from Michell and one of the producers, Kevin Loader. It's a small-scale film, alternately vitriolic and poignant, elevated by O'Toole.
Movie Review: Venus Arising
Summary: 4 Stars
This is another movie in a genre that seems to be gaining steam in recent years. The plot centers around a very young woman (Jodie Whittaker) and a much older man (Peter O'Toole) who share a very off-the-wall friendship. There are many parallels between this film & other recent flicks of the same basic genre, such as Lost in Translation (where Bill Murray's character "falls" for Scarlett Johannson's character) and Shopgirl (written by Steve Martin, where he plays the title role of a man who goes after a younger woman, portrayed by Claire Danes). Like both of these movies, Venus is very subtle. It kind of floats along, sort of dream-like. People who need movies with lots of action, or lots of stuff going on @ once, may be rather bored by this film.
Peter O'Toole plays an actor who is way past his prime. Once a storied Thespian, he is now relegated to roles such as that of a corpse. He was also quite a Lady's Man in his time, but now his seductive prowess & power over women is stale. Physically, too, he is wearing down. He is in need of prostrate surgery and his body is basically falling apart beneath him.
When he meets his friend's niece (played nicely by Whittaker), he suddenly finds his sexual urges and romantic passions re-awakened. He projects & idealizes her into the image of Venus, Roman goddess of Love, as she appears in a famous painting. Jodie Whittaker has an unconventional, demure beauty that is perfect for her role as the young siren.
The story tells of how the 2 people try to manipulate each other towards their own ends. He wants small non-sexual favors, and in return she wants him to buy her stuff. Out of this they somehow form a genuine (albeit awkward?) friendship.
For those who have seen LOST IN TRANSLATION and / or SHOPGIRL, those films will likely be a good indicator as to how much (or little?) you will like this movie. One thing that must be acknowledged is that this is a little more "extreme" in its view of the older man / much younger girl. O'Toole is in his Golden Years while Jodie Whittaker is literally barely out of high school. Some may find this a bit vulger, but for those who stick around for the whole story, they will find a certain elegance in watching the Venus on the screen transforming into the vision of Venus in the painting.
Movie Review: The Twilight of the Mod
Summary: 4 Stars
When the Academy Awards wanted to give Peter O'Toole an honorary Oscar, he initially refused, saying that he still felt he was quite in the running for a Best Actor and didn't want to ruin his chances with any "lifetime achievement" awards.
I wonder if the makers of "Venus" were listening. It certainly looks that way: the role of Maurice appears tailored for O'Toole in every scene...and it worked. O'Toole received another Oscar nomination for Best Actor (he lost to Forrest Whitaker).
I remember reading in Richard Burton's biography that both he and O'Toole shared the same record: most Academy Award nominations without ever winning. 7 or 8, I believe. So now O'Toole has 8 or 9, nearly 25 years after Burton's death.
It's a great role for a great actor...but I don't know if it's a great movie for everyone. Some of it worked, some of it might offend or annoy people. (I've noticed some reviews take O'Toole's age and lecherous advances to task. I have to admit that some of the scenes made me uncomfortable: the sight of a very elderly man trying to bribe kisses and gropes from a very young girl, for one! If you didn't keep in mind that this was Peter O'Toole, Lawrence of Arabia, the 60's swinger from "What's New, Pussycat?", you might think he was just another very dirty old man).
The movie does succeed in the weird desires and awkward moments of an old man enchanted by a young girl. She's hardly deserving at first (which was interesting) and I felt bad for the old dude when he realizes he's just being used while a young punk boyfriend loiters outside smoking cigarettes on the sidewalk. But who do you root for? It's real...but the hope of happy ending is impossible.
If you enjoy great acting, you'll like this movie. If you're looking for a whimsical romance...you might be challenged.
Most of it worked for me because of Peter O'Toole.
(Why do films insist on showcasing foul-mouthed old people? The only ancient potty mouths I've seen are in movies, not real life. Hearing Katherine Hepburn mutter the F-bomb in Warren Beatty's remake of "An Affair to Remember" or Peter O'Toole exchange the same word over and over with another old man in "Venus" is hardly groundbreaking or all that entertaining, to be honest. If I want a cussing geezer, I'll just watch Ruth Gordon in Clint Eastwood's monkey movie, "Every Which Way but Loose." That's about the level of that gag).
Movie Review: Death in "Venus"
Summary: 4 Stars
"Venus" is a parable about the inevitability of time and the impermanence of love. The story is a variation on the theme of the dying man, smitten with lost youth and opportunity, which is revived----ever-so-briefly----via the persona of a beautiful young creature. Thus the aging actor Maurice--played with subtle poignancy by Peter O'Toole--who is captivated by the attractive, but rough-about-the-edges niece of another old actor and friend, is reminiscent of the aging composer Aschenbach, who yearns for the beautiful and unobtainable young Tadziu in Visconti's "Death in Venice." "Venus," in fact, portrays the unsatisfactory scenario of what might have occurred had Aschenbach realized his relationship with Tadziu. Like "Venice," "Venus" connects Love with Death, who, cast in a cameo role, overtakes its protagonist on a lonely beach. Unlike "Venice," however, "Venus" casts no sunset glow on the death of the actor Maurice, whose exit is both lonely and ignominious--a dirty business with a catheter tube and bag strapped to his leg.
"Venus," however, is laced with laughter as well as tears, as when the two once-famous thespian friends make the rounds of their old London haunts, including a church with the memorial plaques to long-dead actors, such as Laurence Harvey. When Maurice notes that the church is running out of wall space for such commemorations, his friend Ian--played with equal professionalism by Leslie Phillips--tells him wistfully that "Ian" is a very short name. One of the most touching lines, though, comes when the two revisit their elegant Edwardian club--apparently frequented by actors--and Ian remarks that he loves coming to the place, because it reminds him so much of what he might have been.
The acting, as is to be expected from such a cast, which includes Vanessa Redgrave as Maurice's long-neglected but still-loved wife, is superb. Peter O'Toole has the remarkable ability to inflict a mortal wound to the heart with a mere look. The expression on his face hardly changes, but his inner passion is so heartfelt that he conveys his emotion effortlessly. O'Toole's performance demonstrates the bankruptcy of the Hollywood establishment, which has failed to acknowledge his artistry properly for these many years.
Movie Review: Lust for Life or Just Plain Lust.
Summary: 4 Stars
"Venus" is a sentimental, though unromantic, look at one man's persistent but circumscribed desire for women as he nears the end of his life. Maurice (Peter O'Toole) was a well-known actor and handsome womanizer in his younger days. Now a septuagenarian, he passes the time with his surviving friends and still manages to make a living in front of the camera. Fastidious fellow thespian Ian (Leslie Phillips) has taken in his niece's daughter Jesse (Jodie Whittaker) and is beside himself with anxiety about the young woman's uncouth manner. Maurice thrills at opportunity for young female company, though, charming and bribing Jesse into an awkward friendship.
"Venus" is mercifully not philosophical about old age or love, and the characters aren't easy to like. But this film excels in honesty. It doesn't romanticize old age. Maurice is a man who has always loved women and now can love them only in his imagination. His attempts to impress and please Jesse in order to get the kind of attention that pubescent boys long for might seem pitiful. Jesse's teasing and manipulation may be cruel. But there is a striking frankness in Maurice's declaration that a woman's body is the most beautiful thing that most men will ever see. "Venus" is a portrait of a "dirty old man" whose desire to participate physically in life exceeds his abilities but touches the audience.
The DVD (Miramax 2007): There are 4 deleted scenes, a making-of documentary, and an audio commentary. "Venus, A Real Work of Art" (14 min) features interviews with director Roger Michell, writer Hanif Kureishi, and producer Kevin Loader, who talk about developing the story, while actors Peter O'Toole, Leslie Phillips, and Jodie Whittaker talk about their characters and working together. The low-key audio commentary by director Roger Michell and producer Kevin Loader addresses story, filing, some locations and sets, and miscellaneous production details. Subtitles are available for the film in English SDH.