In association with

Venus [2006]
from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm
starring Peter O'Toole, Vanessa Redgrave, Leslie Phillips, Corin Redgrave
directed by Roger Michell

Features:

• Anamorphic
• PAL

Editorial Review:

Screen legend Peter O'Toole stars in this moving story of an elderly actor and his somewhat questionable relationship with a teenage girl. Maurice (O'Toole) and his friend Ian (Leslie Phillips) are two classy curmudgeons whiling away their hours in coffee shops and at the theatre, but their routine is thrown for a loop when Ian's niece's daughter Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) is sent from the country to act as his nurse. Jessie shows up on the scene sullen and pouty, immediately drinking all the liquor in the house and slouching her way from room to room. But Maurice befriends her, taking her to museums and getting her a gig as an art model, and along the way he openly expresses the lust she has awakened in him. Jessie's brash rejections of his affections are at first as amusing as they are awkward. When she starts to allow him small pleasures--like kissing her bare shoulders or caressing her hands--the film enters into some uncomfortable, complicated territory, but it is deftly navigated by Hanif Kureishi's sharp screenplay, and O'Toole's heartbreaking performance.
VENUS is in many ways a quiet film, shot mainly in tiny shops and in Ian's musty apartment, and it often relies on single shots of O'Toole's weary blue eyes to convey the many complexities within the story. Far from just a tale of a May-December romance, VENUS is a very raw look at growing old, and the aches and pains, both emotional and physical, that accompany a man near the end of his life. It is an honest, moving portrait of human desire, and how it can both beat us down and lift us up--no matter the age.

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

• Fantastic
  This film is amazing. The acting is superb and story very moving. It manages to be happy, sad, funny and uplifting all at once. The 'disturbing' moments work and are integral to the story. I choose to look at it as rather than him being a dirty old man, he's just the same man he always was, a womaniser, in an old body. Wonderful, a must see.

• Disappointing, Dreary and Dismal
  I am so glad I watched this film whilst doing the ironing - at least I did not completely waste my time! Generally I love films which deal with difficult subjects, especially those that provoke discussion etc. Venus however just made my skin crawl, Peter O'Toole, Phillips and Redgrave are all fine actors and gave great performances. But the main theme of the film - a grandfather who falls in love with his friend's very young (but legal!) niece is sleazy and uncomfortable to watch. Jesse/Venus is sent to... more info

• A gentle comedy drama, some some fine performances
  Maurice (Peter O'Toole) is either a dirty old pervert or an elderly man who happens to fall for a young woman 50 years his junior, Jessie (Jodie Whittaker), who's the great niece of his best friend Ian (Leslie Phillips), I personally think that it's the latter of the 2 scenarios.
  Peter O'Toole is simply wonderful, he and the excellent Jodie Whittaker work superbly together, considering the age gap and what else goes on in the film I did not feel freaked out or repulsed by what I was watching, it was... more info

• A good UK film
  Cast good, acting good, dialogue good, photography and locations good. Not a CGI image in sight (to my eyes anyway). Overall I would rate this as a excellent film.

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