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"Venus" takes "Harold and Maude" and inverts it with
plenty of British humor and pathos. Peter O'Toole plays
Maurice Russell an elderly actor who becomes enchanted by
his friend Ian's (Leslie Phillips) brash and uncouth 17
year old niece Jessie (Jodie Whittaker). Maurice may be
in his 70s but he's not dead-he still has an interest in
the ladies even if they no longer have an interest in him.
It also doesn't help that due to prostrate cancer he no
longer has the ability to perform. Although his interest
in Jessie is sexual at first, he enjoys the companionship
of this blunt teenager who, despite their age differences
the two are strange soul mates. ***
O'Toole was justifiably nominated for an Oscar for
his complex portrayal of Maurice someone who has become
old but doesn't want to be. He still has the soul of a young
man and the impulses as well even if he doesn't have the
body of one. He's more than a dirty old man-Maurice is someone
who just isn't prepared for the indignity of old age and
all the expectations that society has for an elderly man.
Jessie is his chance to feel young again at least emotionally
and she revives his slowly sinking spirit. She, in turn,
finds someone who will give her a sympathetic ear but also
not take her crap without fighting back. He refuses to just
accept her for what she is but recognizes in her what she
could be. The film features some nice supporting turns including
Jodie Whittaker who more than holds her own among these
storied film and stage veterans. Director Roger Michell
makes the most of his strong cast playing to their strengths
and letting the camera catch those fine moments. ---
Image & Sound:
"Venus" looks extremely good with accurate skin tones
and clear detailed images. Audio sounds quite good with
dialogue being the priority in this talk driven film. The
5.1 mix is pretty good although sometimes some of the ambient
sounds in sequences set outdoors crowd the dialogue making
it a bit unclear.
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