Review: Venus


Aging actor (and dirty old bugger) Peter O’Toole develops a thing for friend Leslie Phillips’ buxom (but sullen and uncultured) grandniece Jodie Whittaker, who arrives to look after elderly Phillips (who detests her, by the way). Whittaker seems put-off by the randy old codger’s blatant sexual advances, but hey, so long as he’s showering her with gifts, paying attention to her, and not getting physical, she’s compliant, perhaps a little intrigued. Richard Griffiths is a mutual friend, and Vanessa Redgrave is O’Toole’s surprisingly supportive ex-wife.

 

Oddball, foul-mouthed 2006 Roger Michell (“Notting Hill” of all films) critic’s fave is of moderate interest for a while, if only to hear O’Toole and scene-stealing Phillips (I didn’t even know the veteran British comedian was still alive) say the darndest things. But the story is utterly predictable (if very strange at times), and the relationship between O’Toole and Whittaker (who has nice jugs, by the way. Hey, it’s that kind of film!) entirely unbelievable, if not outright weird. I’m not suggesting that an old man and a young woman can’t have a relationship, but I am saying that these two couldn’t, and I didn’t really want to be exposed to it. I just don’t think there was enough of an indication as to why Whittaker tolerated O’Toole’s dirty old man (at least in O’Toole’s case physical attraction and lust were evident, but what the hell did Whittaker (whose character, frankly, isn’t very likeable) see in decrepit, horny O’Toole? I had to guess Whittaker’s motives/feelings when writing the plot synopsis). It just made no sense and came off unconvincingly.

 

Tonally the film is also problematic, I was never sure whether I was meant to take any or all of this seriously. It’s all a bit of a head-scratcher if you ask me. I’m just not sure what I was meant to get out of it.

 

O’Toole (who would’ve likely won an Oscar if not for Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland” being so damn impressive) isn’t my favourite actor, I think he’s an old windbag and always has been, even when relatively young. However, any scene involving Phillips or the almost unrecognisable Redgrave is certainly terrific, though neither is in the film enough to really matter.

 

With a screenplay is by Hanif Kureishi (“My Beautiful Laundrette”), the critics might have liked this one, but I think it will alienate a lot of others (some have labelled it a creepy “Lost in Translation”, but I didn’t like that film either). At least it’s mercifully short.

 

Rating: C

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