Venus
Grade: A-
GIVE THE MAN A BLOODY OSCAR ALREADY!
It is to weep how fine a thespian Peter O’Toole is. It would be untrue to say this is the finest in a truly illustrious career, equally unfair to suggest attention must be paid to a fading star in the twilight of his career. As an aged actor with the body of an old man and the heart of a 20 year old, O’Toole is humble, foulmouthed, tender, rip-roaring, charismatic, raunchy and terribly vulnerable. He remains one of the finest working actors of our time, and a star in a class by himself.
Anyone who has ever suffered the indignity of a prostate exam knows there comes a time in one’s life when outside frailty no longer matches internal youth. It is a shock to one’s system to realize not everyone sees us for the juvenile, insecure, sexual, playful beings we remain all of our lives, and O’Toole displaces the frustrated curmudgeonly attitude of assorted mates with his own brand of chagrined acknowledgement and flippant acceptance. The soul of the film lies between O’Toole and the equally wonderful Leslie Phillips, lifelong chums who literally and figuratively dance their way through life together. One suspects a one-sided love even greater than mere friendship, but the film is so rich in its subtlety and grace that the gentle affection between these two men only shines more brightly because of it. One feels blessed to have the chance to watch O’Toole and Vanessa Redgrave finally onscreen together, a marriage ended long ago one presumes via a mixture of ego and immaturity, but a love that stands the test of time and infidelity.
As the young “Venus” who steals O’Toole’s attention, Jodie Whittaker matches O’Toole’s star power with brazen aplomb. The relationship is a complex mixture of ardor, fondness, lasciviousness and mutual manipulation, two individuals who use one another but actually appear to see one another as well. There are scenes likely to make one squirm in relative discomfort, but the screenplay is so beautifully crafted the fine lines into lewdness and lechery are treaded yet never crossed. They bring out the worst in each other to be sure, but also a glimmer of their best.
Would that the gods could grant Mr. O’Toole another 74 years. Still, one suspects his career is very, very far from nearing its finale.
GIVE THE MAN A BLOODY OSCAR ALREADY!
It is to weep how fine a thespian Peter O’Toole is. It would be untrue to say this is the finest in a truly illustrious career, equally unfair to suggest attention must be paid to a fading star in the twilight of his career. As an aged actor with the body of an old man and the heart of a 20 year old, O’Toole is humble, foulmouthed, tender, rip-roaring, charismatic, raunchy and terribly vulnerable. He remains one of the finest working actors of our time, and a star in a class by himself.
Anyone who has ever suffered the indignity of a prostate exam knows there comes a time in one’s life when outside frailty no longer matches internal youth. It is a shock to one’s system to realize not everyone sees us for the juvenile, insecure, sexual, playful beings we remain all of our lives, and O’Toole displaces the frustrated curmudgeonly attitude of assorted mates with his own brand of chagrined acknowledgement and flippant acceptance. The soul of the film lies between O’Toole and the equally wonderful Leslie Phillips, lifelong chums who literally and figuratively dance their way through life together. One suspects a one-sided love even greater than mere friendship, but the film is so rich in its subtlety and grace that the gentle affection between these two men only shines more brightly because of it. One feels blessed to have the chance to watch O’Toole and Vanessa Redgrave finally onscreen together, a marriage ended long ago one presumes via a mixture of ego and immaturity, but a love that stands the test of time and infidelity.
As the young “Venus” who steals O’Toole’s attention, Jodie Whittaker matches O’Toole’s star power with brazen aplomb. The relationship is a complex mixture of ardor, fondness, lasciviousness and mutual manipulation, two individuals who use one another but actually appear to see one another as well. There are scenes likely to make one squirm in relative discomfort, but the screenplay is so beautifully crafted the fine lines into lewdness and lechery are treaded yet never crossed. They bring out the worst in each other to be sure, but also a glimmer of their best.
Would that the gods could grant Mr. O’Toole another 74 years. Still, one suspects his career is very, very far from nearing its finale.
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More Movie Info: http://imdb.com/title/tt0489327/
posted by SternReviews @ 10:07 PM
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