Venus
Written by Hanif Kureishi
Directed by Roger Michell
Miramax
2006
Rating:


"Venus" combines two of the more execrable forms of cinematic storytelling, the British comedy and the May-December romance. While there are sterling examples of each ("Four Weddings and a Funeral" representing the former and "Nobody's Fool" the latter), more often they turn out to be more like "Mrs. Henderson Presents" or "Shopgirl." "Venus" is practically effervescent in its refusal to give into either genre's worst excesses.

Most of the credit for that is due to Peter O'Toole, who plays a once great actor now reduced to playing corpses and feels reinvigorated by his newfound infatuation with Jessie (Jodie Whitaker), the niece of his best friend Ian (Leslie Phillips). O'Toole's Maurice has a long history of womanizing and his "Pygmallion"-like tutoring of Jessie initially seems like little more than Maurice attempting to make one last conquest. One of "Venus'" finer accomplishments is in how it rarely sentimentalizes Maurice's feelings for Jessie, featuring scenes where Maurice looks up Jessie's skirt and tells her that during a recent hospital stay he spent his time thinking about her "cunt." These scenes are jarring not just because "romances" hardly ever delve into profane declarations of admiration but because of how touching the vulgarity is. By the end, it becomes clear Maurice's interest in Jessie isn't merely sexual (old age and medication have rendered him impotent after all) — for Maurice, Jessie is one last chance to show a woman kindness.

Maurice serves as a fitting elegy to O'Toole and the dying breed of the carousing English actor. With Richard Burton and Richard Harris gone, O'Toole is among the last of his kind and perhaps the only actor alive who could portray Maurice's narcissism, wit and lust for life. At one point a waitress sees a picture of a young Maurice and says, "He were lovely." "Venus" proves O'Toole still is.

Posted Saturday, January 20, 2007

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