Venus (2006/I)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Roger Michell

Writer:

Hanif Kureishi (writer)

Release Date:

26 January 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Love | Death | Aging | Movie Set

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief nudity.

Runtime:

95 min | Canada:95 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:13 | Sweden:7 | Finland:K-11 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Free Range Films

Trivia:

Jodie Whittaker's feature film debut, and one of her first on screen appearances.

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

Jessie: [after their fight] Why didn't you tell me you were having an operation?
Maurice: I didn't want to cheer you up.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Slavonic Dances Op. 72, No. 2 in E minor: Dumka (Allegretto grazioso)

Not What You'd Expect

I, like most people, thought twice about spending a good few hours of my life watching an old man fall in love with a teenager, but my respect for O'Toole and a free ticket voucher at the Denver Film Festival were more than enough to motivate me to see the film. Had I not gone, I would have made a serious mistake. O'Toole's performance is as good as anything he's done, and the whispers about Oscars might just have something behind them. Somehow, Roger Michell directed this film so beautifully that nothing that occurred between Maurie and Jessie seemed morally ambiguous whatsoever. Maybe it was the pairing of scenes with poppy Corinne Bailey Rae music that made it seem so natural, but I strongly suspect otherwise. O'Toole, paired with a beautiful performance by virtual unknown Jodie Whittaker, takes us into a world that disregards social boundaries and replaces them with raw human emotion and understanding. Though O'Toole's performance captivates the Oscar attention of anyone who sees the film, the supporting role played by Leslie Phillips was essential to the film's success. The relationship between Phillips and O'Toole's character had the entire theater laughing just seconds into the film. Overall, a cast of entirely endearing characters and knockout performances by O'Toole, Phillips, and Whittaker make Venus one of the best films I've seen in 2006.