Vanessa Redgrave and Peter O'Toole in Venus.________
In Venus, Peter O'Toole has been handed one of those last hurrah roles that is virtually guaranteed to win the aged performer a final roar of acclaim and respect as well as at least an Oscar nomination. Edith Evans in The Whisperers, Richard Harris in The Field, Geraldine Page in A Trip to Bountiful ( who won the Oscar for her performance ) , Gloria Stuart in Titanic, and Joan Plowright in Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont are but a few of main examples of other actors lauded for similar roles. These films are, by nature, deeply sentimental; rely heavily on the audience's humorous appreciation of the senior citizen's willingness to spout profanity; and usually work because the performer in question is utilizing a lifetime of acting tricks to pull off the material.
If I'm in a certain frame of mind when I first see the movie in question then I'm a sucker for both—which is why Page's work in Bountiful always chokes me up while Harris' in The Field doesn't bear repeat viewings. As for O'Toole in Venus, who, not surprisingly, pulls out all the stops, I veered toward the latter. But those who've longed to see yet two more variations on Harold & Maude and Gods & Monsters—both which this picture commodifies—should head for the nearest movie queue.
At the outset of Venus, which is set in London, we meet O'Toole as Morris, an aging roué who has had a somewhat significant acting career. Morris, still game well into his emeritus years, is still at it. ( The adage is true—for the creative arts there is no such thing as retirement. ) Morris takes a pratfall almost as well as Chevy Chase in his SNL years and has an innate irresistibility to women of all ages undimmed by his advancing years. ( He proudly describes himself as 'a scientist of the female heart.' )
Morris hangs out at the local café, reading the morning's obituaries, and verbally sparring and gossiping with his other elderly performer friends,. Said friends are Donald ( Richard Griffiths ) and, most significantly, Ian ( played by Leslie Phillips, who may be recognized as the highly distinct voice for the Sorting Hat in the second Harry Potter movie ) . On occasion, Morris stops in to see the wife ( Vanessa Redgrave ) he left behind years before for other women. These actors are a dream to watch and their adroitness with the natural sounding dialogue ( courtesy of Hanif Kureishi, who also penned My Beautiful Laundrette as well as Sammy and Rosie Get Laid ) is a pleasure to listen to.
Then, in walks The Plot in the form of the sullen, irascible young Jessie ( Jodie Whittaker, ) who has come to look after Ian, her elderly relative; she also decides to try to make a go of it as a model in the big city. Jessie is a teenager so antisocial that she can't be bothered to mention her name or even say 'Hello' when Morris meets her for the first time. Although Ian finds the young woman a horror, Morris is determined to draw out the difficult Jessie and sets about doing so. We have discerned that Morris still has a vitality that is lacking in the others and that he is not at peace with himself; apparently, getting through to Jessie is his way of dealing with the approaching Final Curtain.
Soon the aging Professor Higgins is tutoring his begrudging Eliza, visiting art museums; taking her out to dinner; offering her beer, giving her a black dress; and showing a willingness to go nightclubbing and pay for her to get tattooed. Morris also tries to convince Jessie to work as a nude art model, partially so he can get a gander at her comely body. In exchange, Jessie slowly allows Morris to come closer to her, both physically and psychologically. As the relationship between the two loners progresses and the inevitable dance along the seaside nears, a young, crude suitor for Jessie complicates matters—as does Morris' declining health.
O'Toole's performance is not exactly delicately shaded ( nor is Whittaker's ) but with the material at hand, who would expect otherwise? Director Roger Michell, most noted for the over-the-top but likeable Notting Hill and the overcooked Changing Lanes, has directed a paint-by-the-numbers dramedy that is familiar and rewarding—if you're in the mood for familiar and rewarding. ( By the way, the film's title refers to Morris' nickname for Jessie. ) Corinne Bailey Rae contributes mournful, original songs that help the mood of the piece.
Film Notes:
—Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, the riveting documentary about the religious cult created by the infamous Reverend Jim Jones and heavily populated with African Americans, gays and other disenfranchised Americans, returns by popular demand to the Gene Siskel Film Center ( where it had its Chicago premiere last November ) for encore presentations on Jan. 19-25. The fascinating rise of Jones' ministry; its close links with the gay and political communities in San Francisco where the group eventually settled; and the tragedy of the cult's mass suicide/murder in South America in 1978 is retold with newly discovered footage and audio tapes. This excellent film is also the rare documentary that doesn't editorialize. See www.siskelfilmcenter.com .
—Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the gay Thai writer-director who graduated from the Chicago Art Institute's film program and who received raves for his fascinating movie Tropical Malady, among others, will have an evening of his short films screened at Chicago Filmmakers on Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. See www.chicagofilmmakers.org .
You can find my archived reviews at www.windycitytimes.com or www.knightatthemovies.com . Feedback can be left at the latter Web site.
