Venus (2006)

Life for a pair of veteran actors gets turned upside down after they meet a brash teenager.

Director:

Roger Michell

Writer:

Hanif Kureishi

Stars:

Peter O'Toole, Jodie Whittaker, Leslie Phillips

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter O'Toole	...	Maurice
Leslie Phillips	...	Ian
Beatrice Savoretti	...	Waitress
Philip Fox	...	Doctor
Lolita Chakrabarti	...	Health Centre Nurse
Carolina Giammetta	...	Health Centre Nurse
Jodie Whittaker	...	Jessie
Kellie Shirley	...	Royal Court Actress
Ashley Madekwe	...	Royal Court Actress
Ony Uhiara	...	Royal Court Actress
Cathryn Bradshaw	...	Jillian
Joanna Croll	...	Hospital Drama Family
Liam McKenna	...	Hospital Drama Family
Meg Wynn Owen	...	Hospital Drama Family (as Meg Wynn-Owen)
Sam Spruell	...	Hospital Director

Storyline

Maurice Russell, once a great actor, is now living in London in the twilight of his life. Those of his generation remember him fondly, while those in the younger generations have no idea who he is. He spends most of his time hanging out with his friends Ian, also an actor, and Donald, or visiting with his wife Valerie for who he has great affection but with who he no longer lives. His acting career is virtually over, he only taking roles on the odd occasion when he needs the money. Ian has decided to invite his young great-niece Jessie from the provinces to come and stay with him, basically to act as his caregiver in case he falls ill, but also to be his companion. He envisions listening to Bach with her and her cooking him food to which he is accustomed. Jessie's stay is nothing as he envisions. She doesn't know how to cook, she drinks all his alcohol, and she has unrealistic visions of what she will accomplish in her life. Maurice, however, sees in Jessie, a person who can help him ...

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Plot Keywords:

sex in bed | black panties | public nudity | cleavage | female removes her clothes | 

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Taglines:

The most acclaimed actor of his generation in the role of a lifetime

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hanif Kureishi said that 'Junichiro Tanizaki''s novella, Diary of a Mad Old Man, is the inspiration behind the story.

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Goofs

In the newspaper fight scene in the restaurant, the waitress is seen about a foot behind Maurice as he is initially attacked. From the opposite camera angle, the waitress alternates between being missing or about ten feet away.

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Quotes

Maurice: [Maurice is clipping Ian's toenail] Keep still. It's not surgery.
Ian: I don't trust you.
Maurice: [clips the nail] Got it! A palpable hit!
Ian: But where has the little fucker gone?
Maurice: Who cares? It's free now.
Ian: I can't have my home scattered with toenails.
Maurice: Oh, God. I'll have to get my other glasses.
Ian: They're around your fucking neck.
Maurice: Oh. Thank you.
[puts glasses on, begins to search]
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2007)

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Soundtracks

Another Rainy Day
Composed & Performed by Corinne Bailey Rae
Published by Global Talent Publishing
Licensed courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.

User Reviews

Acting Sans Botox

This is one of those movies that grows on you once the credits are done. Quickly paced, sharply written and deftly acted, Venus is a movie that unfolds so quickly that one is immersed in the action from the very start.

The background is actors living off small pensions and acting jobs in working class London. The cinematography catches the dullness of the surroundings and one is easily transported into this world of sameness, peppered by occasional wonderful lapses back into the magic of acting and well written lines. Their world, and also the girl's world is turned upside down by meeting one another.

O'Toole is wonderful as Maurice, the ex-raconteur who proves that love, lust, flirtation and marvel are attributes that never go away with age. It's a delight to see these feelings rekindled in the old man, and O'Toole is the master of bringing zest and poignancy to the screen. Just going to see him quote Shakespeare is worth it alone. The setting in which he does it is unexpected and moving.

Jodie Whitaker is indeed a fresh new face. Without airs, this actress expertly matches wits with O'Toole. She conveys the right amount of grittiness, insecurity and bravado as a teenage girl thrust into the big city without a concrete plan would. The growth in her character takes place when an event that she has caused takes place, and she must either own up to what she has done, or forever be stuck in the life as a yob's girlfriend.

Vanessa Redgrave and all the others round out an honest cast that isn't afraid to let "Hollywood" see their age. This is acting "sans botox," and what a delight it is to see. This is smart writing, good thinking, and gutsy in a day when actors are expected to look a certain way even in old age. It's a delight, and trounces all stereotypes about aging.

There are lines here which are utterly breathtaking in their insight and playfulness. The writer is to be applauded for not falling back on the "senior citizen" stereotype. O'Toole's character swoons, he drinks in the quixotic experience of remembering the beauty of a naked body, of kissing a woman's neck, of the entire and total experience of falling in love, of pleasure, and of jealousy and of heartbreak as well. Young screenwriters should take note: write against type and delve into the real human experience, the one that everyone else tries to conveniently box away.

Why an 8, and not a 10? There were some choppy bits of editing. I would have liked to see even more growth and recognition in Maurice. Just a bit more from the writers would've brought it all the way home with the same aplomb given by O'Toole. But overall, a movie worth seeing, a performance worth rewarding. Bravo! Well done. Applause for Mr. O'Toole.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 February 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Venus

Filming Locations:

Trafalgar Square, St James's, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,604, 24 December 2006

Gross USA:

$3,347,411

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,321,309

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, FilmFour, UK Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1