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Life’s studies

February 17, 2011

By Staff Reporter

The Academy insisted it would still give him the award — whether he liked it or not — and O’Toole ended up graciously accepting it.
The Academy should have waited just a little bit longer because O’Toole’s brilliant portrayal of an aging actor in love for the last time of his life, in the new film, “Venus,” may finally earn him the honor that has eluded him for so long.
Striking the perfect balance between pathos and humor, “Venus” is director Roger Michell and writer Hanif Kureishi’s story of several Brits grappling with the realities of their twilight years.
The film is one of those rare gems that actually give its senior actors — O’Toole, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Griffiths and Leslie Phillips — complex characters and rich dialogue to play with and the results are a joy to watch. So often these days we see august actors wasted in mediocre fare simply because they want to work and don’t have much to choose from. This film is actually worthy of the thespians cast in it and moviegoers who feared his small, conventional roles in “Lassie” or “Troy” might have been O’Toole’s last contributions to cinematic history will cheer when they see the old boy still has it.
In the film, O’Toole plays Maurice, a witty, intelligent actor still fighting the good fight, but aware he is nearing the end of his life. He continues to act, even though there are few meaty roles for men his age, scrapes to make ends meet, visits the ex-wife (Redgrave) he wronged long ago (but who knows him better than anyone) and trades barbs with his pals, Donald and Ian (Griffiths and Phillips.)
The relationships between all of the characters are expertly written and acted and feel truthful, as do the age-related jokes about prostate exams, nude-drawing classes, sex and pedicures. Some might be taken aback by the film’s salty language, but that, too, has an air of authenticity, as if the viewer is a fly on the wall listening to these folks express what they really think.
The film takes off when Maurice, a skirt-chaser from way back, enjoys a surge of vitality after Ian’s 20-year-old great-niece, Jessie, (newcomer Jodie Whittaker) comes to town for a visit. While his friend finds her obnoxious, Maurice thinks she is spirited and soon falls in love with her, even though he suspects she only spends time with him for money and career contacts she thinks he has.
Not surprisingly, their relationship sparks a rift between Maurice and Ian, who worries about what his old friend is doing with the young girl. When Jessie’s selfish, thoughtless actions put Maurice in harm’s way, she finally realizes how deeply she cares for him and remains by the seriously injured codger’s side for the rest of his life.
Whittaker is terrific in the role of Maurice’s reluctant muse, ironically nick-named after the goddess of love and beauty. Rude and opportunistic, frequently repulsed by the old man’s attention, but not entirely discouraging it, her character is largely unlikable for the first two-thirds of the film. However, that makes her transformation due to her relationship with the charming, passionate Maurice, all the more extraordinary. Whittaker is so good, one can actually feel her character maturing and growing a heart as she assumes the role of caretaker for a mentor who has treated her better than anyone else ever has.
Maurice, on the other hand, experiences a devastating physical deterioration as a result of their friendship. Although Jessie eventually, unwittingly leads to his downfall, O’Toole as Maurice convinces the viewer he wouldn’t have missed the experience of loving her for all the world. O’Toole is truly a treasure and this performance — whether it finally nabs him that Oscar or not — should not be missed.

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