There’s no sweeping drama in Venus. Instead, it’s a relatively quiet story about an aging rake (O’Toole’s Maurice) who’s attracted to his best friend’s great-niece and sets about charming her. I would say sets about wooing her, but there’s not really that sense to it. For one thing, Maurice is dying from prostate cancer; for another, the girl, Jessie (Whittaker) sets very clear boundaries as to what Maurice can and can’t do.
I found bits of Pygmalion in the relationship between Maurice and Jessie. He’s a well-known actor, still working, and she’s a country girl come to the big city. He takes her to sets, buys her clothing and jewelry, pays for a tattoo. He also makes no secret of his desire to touch her, to be as close to her as she’ll let him. She takes cruel advantage of that at one point, but soon regrets it.
O’Toole is marvelous. Yes, he’s up in years now (and made to look even older at some points), but he still has those piercing eyes and, oh, can he deliver a line. This script (by Hanif Kureishi) gives him some wonderful material. Whittaker is also strong; she holds her own with the rest of the cast, which is quite an accomplishment.
Phillips plays the best friend. He, too, is an aging, infirm actor, not quite of Maurice’s stature (something they’re both very aware of). Jessie is supposed to be in London to help care for him while seeking a modeling career, but the two of them don’t get along. And as Maurice takes an interest in Jessie and the two spend more and more time together, Phillips’ Ian clearly resents it. His claim is that Maurice is corrupting Jessie, but there’s a sense that he’s really more jealous of her usurping of his position as closest friend. That bit of tension culminates in a fight scene that’s both funny and poignant.
Redgrave is Valerie, Maurice’s wife. (I really couldn’t figure out if they were divorced or merely long estranged.) She has only a few scenes, but they’re just lovely. We learn from one of them that Maurice cheated on her regularly, and ultimately left her with three children under the age of six. The dialogue between the two of them is some of the most affecting in the film, maybe because of their skill in delivering it, but just very, very moving. Valerie also has a lovely moment with Jessie late in the film.
The special features include a commentary track with the director, Roger Michell, and the producer, Kevin Loader, a few deleted scenes (none of which are essential, but the acting is so good it’s nice to get to see a bit more of it), and a making-of that’s largely an homage to the great cast.
Technical specs: The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. There are no alternate language tracks or captioning options.
Venus gets its R rating due to some brief nudity and frequently salty language. It’s a small gem of a film, worth watching both for the story and to see some of acting’s elite at the top of their games.